TEXTO:
Scientists in Australia have discovered a cave
filled with the remains of prehistoric mammals. The
find reveals some surprising similarities between these
lost creatures and modern-day kangaroos and koalas.
[5] The treasure trove of preserved fossils found in
an outback cave has given paleontologists a rare view
into the weird and breathtaking world of prehistoric
Australia.
Researchers from the University of New South
[10] Wales say they’ve found the remains of some of the
strangest specimens anyone could possibly imagine.
The discovery includes 26 skulls from an extinct,
wombat-like marsupial that was an odd-looking
creature the size of a sheep, which had giant claws.
[15] These may have been used to climb trees — as koalas
do today.
Finding such a large cluster of fossils has
indicated these lost animals may have roamed the
countryside in herds — like modern-day kangaroos.
[20] How they ended up deep underground is a mystery.
One theory is they accidentally plunged into the cave
through an opening that was obscured by vegetation.
They either died from the fall, or became trapped and
starved to death.
[25] These ancient gems were unearthed at the
famous Riversleigh World Heritage fossil fields in
north-western Queensland, which scientists have
been exploring since the early 1990s. Its ancient
deposits are among the richest and most extensive
[30] to be found anywhere.
MERGER, Phil. Cave of fossils found in Australia. Disponível em: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinth enews/2010/07/100719witnmarsupialspage.shtml. Acesso em: 10 nov. 2020.
About the fossil fields mentioned in the text, it’s correct to say that they started to be explored
