An international research team has revealed that Tyrannosaurus rex (T-rex) dinosaurs were not as intelligent as previously thought, but instead behaved like crocodiles and lizards. This team consists of scientists working across a wide spectrum, ranging from behavioral scientists to paleontologists and neurologists.
According to a report by Phys.org, researchers from the universities of Bristol and Southampton in the UK, Heinrich Heine University in Germany, the University of Alberta in Canada, and the Royal Ontario Museum examined the techniques used to estimate the brain size and neuron counts of dinosaurs.
As a result of this research, it was determined that previous estimates regarding the brain size and neuron counts of dinosaurs were unreliable. The researchers found that the forebrain sizes of dinosaurs had been overestimated and their neuron counts exaggerated. Furthermore, they concluded that the dinosaurs behaved like crocodiles and lizards.
Emphasizing that neuron count estimates are not a reliable guide for intelligence, the researchers stated that to reliably reconstruct the biology of extinct species, one must rely on multiple lines of evidence, such as skeletal anatomy, bone histology, the behavior of living relatives, and trace fossils.
To gain information about the brains of dinosaurs, researchers utilize mineral casts and shapes known as “endocasts.”
Hady George from the University of Bristol stated that the best way to determine the intelligence of dinosaurs and other extinct animals is to use a wide range of evidence, from macroscopic anatomy to trace fossils, rather than relying solely on neuron count estimates.
Dr. Ornella Bertrand from the University of Edinburgh pointed out that neuron counts are not accurate predictors of cognitive performance, noting that using them to estimate the intelligence of extinct animals can lead to misleading interpretations.
A study conducted last year had suggested that T-rex dinosaurs, with their high neuron counts, were more intelligent than previously estimated. That result was published in the journal “The Anatomical Record.”
News Source: AA
