KOMPAS.com- Researchers from the University of Bristol, England successfully reconstructed the brain dinosaur digitally. They use sophisticated 3D imaging and modeling techniques to do this.
The result, as quoted from CNN, Tuesday (15/12/2020) the researchers managed to rebuild the brain from Thecodontosaurus, sauropoda who lived in what is now England some 205 million years ago.
Reconstruction The researchers said this helps reveal new insights into dinosaur eating patterns and behavior in the past.
“We found many interesting features from our analysis of the Thecodontosaur brain. Some of them are quite surprising,” said Antonio Ballell, lead author of the study and a PhD student in the University of Bristol’s School of Earth Sciences.
Also read: Rare, Experts Find Dinosaur-Age Birds with Sickle-Like Beaks
Thecodontosaurus, which means cavity-toothed lizard, is a large dog-sized dinosaur that lived at the end of the Triassic era.
Dinosaur fossils discovered in the 1800s, but scientists were only recently able to study the specimen in detail without destroying it.
Experts digitally extract dinosaur fossils and identifying unseen details of the brain and inner ear anatomy.
“Although the real brain is long gone, the software allows us to recreate the brain and the shape of the inner ear through the dimensions of the cavity that was left behind,” explains Ballell.
Furthermore, Ballell said that the Thecodontosaurus brain shell was so well preserved that researchers could compare it with other dinosaurs, identify common features and some specific features of Thecodontosaurus.
The results are analysis reconstruction Thecodontosaurus brains revealed the presence of large flocular canlobus, an important part of the balance control of dinosaurs.
This also shows that the dinosaur moved on two legs.
“The structure is also related to eye and neck movement control, suggesting that Thecodontosaurus was relatively agile and could maintain a steady view while moving fast,” added Ballell.
The part to control head and eye stability during movement, according to Ballell, is also well developed.
Also read: Fossil Finds Reveal Dinosaurs’ Travel Across the Ocean
This means that Thecodontosaurs also hunted sometimes, even though the morphology of their teeth suggests that plants were a major component of their diet. It could be that Thecodontosaurs adopted omnivorous habits.
Experts also reconstructed the dinosaur’s inner ear, and estimated that Thecodontosaurus had a high frequency of hearing.
This allows it to recognize sounds made by other animals, and shows that it has some kind of social complexity.
Reconstruction research dinosaur brain has been published on Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.
– .