Using advanced imaging and 3D modeling techniques, researchers at the University of Bristol in the UK “reconstructed” the brain of S. Theropod, a Thekodontos ur interest, traveling around England about 205 million years ago.
Experts have found that, unlike its plant-eating relatives, Diplocuscus and Brontosaurus, Thecodontosaurus can eat meat – and it can walk on two legs.
“While his later relatives were thoughtful on all fours, our findings suggest that the species may walk on two legs and sometimes remain carnivorous,” said Belle, lead author of the study.
Thikodontos ur Ras, whose name meant “socket-toothed lizard”, was the size of a large dinosaur and lived in the late Triassic.
Large dinosaur fossils, also known as “Bristol dinosaurs”, were found in the 1800s, but scientists have only recently been able to study specimens in detail without using 3D models derived from CT scans.
Experts digitally extracted bone from a rock, and identified anatomical details about dinosaur brains and inner ears that had not yet been found in fossils.
“Even though the real brain lasts a long time, software allows us to recreate the shape of the brain and inner ear through the dimensions of the remaining cavities,” Belle explained.
“The brain of Thecodontos ur interest is beautifully preserved so we compared it with other dinosaurs, to identify common features and some that are distinctive from Thecodontos ur interest.”
The researchers found that large floccular lobes came out of the animal’s brain cast, which is important for balance, indicating that the dinosaur walked on two legs.
“This composition is also associated with balance and control of eye and neck movement, indicating that Thecodontos us interest was relatively agile and could maintain a stable gaze when walking fast,” Bellell said.
“Our analysis has shown that some parts of the brain are involved in keeping the head steady and the eyes and gaze are stable during movement. Was a major component of the diet. It is possible that he adopted omnivorous habits, “he added.
Experts also reconstructed the dinosaur’s inner ear, and estimated that Thecodontos ur interest has a high frequency of hearing, which would allow it to recognize sounds made by other animals, suggesting that it had some kind of social complexity.
.
