Using advanced imaging and 3D modeling techniques, researchers at the University of Bristol in the UK “rebuilt” the brain of a Thecodontosaurus, a robot that orbited the UK 205 million years ago.
Unlike its plant-eating relatives Diplodocus and Prontosaurus, experts found that Thecodontosaurus may have eaten meat – and may have walked on two legs.
“Although its later relatives moved remarkably well on all fours, our findings suggest that this species may have walked on two legs and occasionally been carnivorous,” added Paul, the study’s lead author.
Thecodontosaurus, whose name means “socket-toothed lizard”, is a large dog – sized dinosaur that lived in the late Triassic.
Large fossils of the dinosaur, also known as the “Bristol dinosaur”, were discovered in the 1800s, but scientists have recently been able to study them in detail using 3D models developed from CD scans without destroying them.
Experts digitally extracted the bone from the rock and identified anatomical details about the dinosaur’s brain and inner ear that had never been found in the fossil record.
“Even though the real brain takes a long time, software allows us to recreate the shape of the brain and inner ear through the dimensions of the cavities that leave us,” Palel explained.
“The brain of the Thecodontosaurus is beautifully preserved, so we compared it with other dinosaurs and identified common features and some specific to Thecodontosaurus,” Palel said.
The researchers found that the brain mold of the organism revealed large blocular lobes, which are important for balance, indicating that the dinosaur moved on two legs.
“This system is related to balance and control of eye and neck movements, which is relatively active in the decodontosaurus and may have stable vision when moving fast,” Palel said.
“Our analysis showed that the head was in good shape and the eyes and eyes were in good working order during the movement. This may indicate that Thecodontosaurus may occasionally catch prey, although its dental morphology suggests that plants are an important part of its diet. It is possible to follow omnipotent habits,” he said.
Experts also reconstructed the inner ear of the dinosaur, and estimated that the decodonosaurus had a higher auditory frequency, which would allow it to recognize the sounds of other animals, and that it had some sort of social complexity.