São Paulo Brazil – How did dinosaurs turn from tiny creatures into giant giants? Researchers at Campinas State University (UNICAMP) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, believe they have finally got the answer. In the new study, they shed light on the structure of the air sacs in ancient dinosaurs Macrocollum itaquii It is the key to understanding the evolution of the dinosaurs that still captivates our imaginations.
Macrocollum itaquii, which roamed southern Brazil about 225 million years ago, is the oldest studied dinosaur with an air sac structure. These bony cavities, also found in modern birds, played an important role in helping dinosaurs take in more oxygen, regulate their body temperature, and survive the harsh conditions of their time. It was this adaptation that made some dinosaurs, such as the mighty one, possible Tyrannosaurus rex And Brachiosaurusto grow into a great being.
“The air sacs make their bones less dense, allowing them to grow to more than 30 meters,” said Tito Aureliano, lead author of the study. Media release.
The research, carried out as part of Aureliano’s PhD thesis, sheds light on how the largest dinosaurs of his time evolved from just one meter to reach astounding lengths. This study is part of the wider project “Taphonomic Landscapes” funded by the Research Foundation in São Paulo (FAPESP) to investigate the conservation and fossilization of organisms.
Reconstruction of the sauropodomorph macrocollum skeleton (CAPPA/UFSM 0001b) showing vertebral elements along the vertebral column and a presumed reconstruction of the air sac system involved. (a) Pneumatic posterior cervical vertebrae and CT section in b. (c) Pneumatically compressed anterior dorsal vertebrae with segmental foramen limbs in d, and details of the foramen foramen in e. (f) Detail of the foramen in the reconstructed 3D element model. (g) Anterior cervical elements (antennas). (h) Posterior dorsal vertebrae showing no traces of PSP. The sacral chain (i), as well as the anterior (k) and caudal (j) middle chains are pneumatic. a, g, h, j and k in the left side view. c, e and f in the right side view. I’m in back view. ABD, abdominal diverticulum. CER, cervical diverticulum; Luna and lungs. foramen. The reconstruction was carried out by Rodrigo T. Müller. Scale bar for frame reconstruction = 500 mm; a – j = 20 mm. (Source FAPESP)
Frisia Riccardi Branco, a professor at UNICAMP and principal investigator on the project, highlighted the importance M. itaquii in the context of dinosaur evolution.
“These dinosaurs lived on earth during the Triassic period and paved the way for the extraordinary diversity that we see in the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. The presence of air sacs gave dinosaurs an evolutionary advantage over other groups, allowing them to diversify quickly,” explained Ricardo Branco.
The latest discoveries challenge previous assumptions about the evolution of airbags. The team found an internal air space M. itaquii, a new type of tissue with a mesenchymal texture that they propose to call “protocameras”. This finding contradicts the widely accepted hypothesis that air sacs evolved from a camera structure to a camel structure. The researchers also found that air sacs were found in the cervical and dorsal regions of the dinosaur’s spine, contrary to previous theories which appeared only in the abdominal region.
“It seems that evolution experimented with different shapes until it reached the final system, in which the air sacs extend from the cervical region to the tail. It is not a linear process,” explained Aureliano.
By unraveling the role of air sacs in the evolution of dinosaurs, this research provides invaluable insight into the extraordinary world of these prehistoric creatures. Invention M. itaquii This unique anatomical feature revolutionized our understanding of dinosaur evolution, paving the way for even more exciting discoveries about their ancient existence.
The results have been published in a journal anatomy notes.
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2023-07-02 17:51:45
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