The early spinosaurus didn't have specialized brains, according to a new study after they reconstructed two British spinosaurus brains to see how they interact with their surroundings when they existed.
Spinosaurus Brain Recreated
Spinosaurus is an unusual group of theropod dinosaurs. They have long, crocodile-like jaws and conical teeth. They are called swimming dinosaurs.
Researchers from the University of Southampton and Ohio University recreated two of the theropod dinosaurs' brains and inner ears by scanning fossils of Baryonyx from Surrey and Ceratosuchops from the Isle of Wight, which are the two oldest spinosaurus, Interest Engineering reported.
The enormous beasts were strolling around the Earth 125 million years ago. Both specimen's braincases are in good condition, so the scientists reconstructed them digitally to recreate the inside soft tissues that had already decayed.
According to the experts, the olfactory bulbs, which process scents, were underdeveloped, and the ear was probably tuned to low-frequency sounds. The regions of the brain responsible for maintaining balance and a fixed gaze on prey may have been less developed compared to those later, more specialized spinosaurus.
Even though they have unusual ecology, it appears that their brains and senses were similar with other large-bodied theropods. The way their brains are organized does not reflect their semi-aquatic lifestyles, according to Chris Barker, a Ph.D. student at the University of Southampton, who led the study.
The researchers believed that the theropod ancestors of spinosaurs already had brains and sensory adaptations suited for part-time fish catching. However, it wasn't specialized since they needed an unusual snout and teeth.
Given that the skulls of all spinosaurs are so specialized for fish-catching, the researchers were surprised after discovering their "non-specialized" brains, according to Dr. Darren Naish, a contributing author. However, the results are still noteworthy because they learned so much about the spinosaurus' sensory abilities, such as hearing, smell, and balance. According to Dr. Naish, they extracted as much information as possible from these fossils regarding the theropod dinosaurs' brains.
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CT-Based Imaging For to Study Cognitive and Sensory Abilities of Extinct Animals
The braincase of Ceratosuchops was scanned at the -Vis X-ray Imaging Centre at the University of Southampton, home to some of the country's most powerful CT scanners. A model of its brain will be displayed alongside its bones at the Dinosaur Isle Museum in Sandown, Isle of Wight, Phys.org reported.
Co-author Lawrence M. Witmer, a professor of anatomy at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine who has been CT scanning dinosaurs, including Baryonyx, for over two decades, said that the new study is the latest in what amounts to a revolution in paleontology due to advancements in CT-based imaging of fossils. According to him, they can now assess the cognitive and sensory abilities of extinct animals and investigate the evolution of the brain in behaviorally extreme dinosaurs such as spinosaurs.
Dr. Neil Gostling, director of the University of Southampton's EvoPalaeoLab, remarked that the new study demonstrates how the United Kingdom, and the University of Southampton in particular, are at the forefront of spinosaur research. Spinosaurs are one of the most controversial dinosaur groups, and this study contributes significantly to ongoing discussions about their biology and evolution.
The study was published in the Journal of Anatomy.
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