重大发现：1.7亿年前的侏罗纪巨型恐龙足印化石

New light has been shed on a little understood period of dinosaur evolution after giant prehistoric footprints were discovered on the Isle of Skye.

在斯凯岛上的巨型史前脚印被发现之后，人们对有关恐龙进化史有了新的认识。

Researchers, including some from Edinburgh University, have been analysing dozens of the footprints, left about 170 million years ago.

包括来自爱丁堡大学的一些研究人员一直在分析这几十个大约1.7亿年前足迹，。

They found that the tracks belonged to sauropods and therapods from the Middle Jurassic period.

他们发现这些脚印属于中侏罗纪时期的蜥脚下目和兽脚亚目。

The discovery has been described as being "globally important".

这一发现被形容为“全球重要”。

Few fossil sites have been found around the world from the Middle Jurassic period.

世界上只发现了很少来自中侏罗纪时期的化石遗址。

The footprints, left in a muddy, shallow lagoon, are helping the researchers build a more accurate picture of an important period in dinosaur evolution.

来自这个泥泞的浅水泻湖中的脚印正在帮助研究人员更准确地构建对恐龙进化的一个重要时期的认识。

Most of the prints were made by long-necked sauropods - which stood up to 2m (6.5ft) tall - and by theropods, which were the older cousins of Tyrannosaurus Rex.

大部分脚印都属于身高达2米（6.5英尺）的长颈蜥脚下目动物和暴龙的老表亲兽脚亚目动物。

The footprints were difficult to study owing to tidal conditions, the impact of weathering and changes to the landscape but the scientists identified two trackways in addition to many isolated footprints.

由于潮汐条件，风化和景观变化的影响，足迹很难研究，但科学家除了许多孤立的足迹外还确定了两条轨道。

The study, carried out by the University of Edinburgh, Staffin Museum, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was published in the Scottish Journal of Geology.

这项由爱丁堡大学，Staffin博物馆和中国科学院进行的研究发表在《苏格兰地质学杂志》上。