Dinosaurs, contrary to what some recent research has suggested, were not as intelligent as thought, and although their intelligence is comparable to that of large reptiles, it is in no way comparable to that of apes.
An international team of researchers has now pointed this out, contradicting a previous study, published last year, according to which T. rex had an exceptionally large number of neurons, which would be directly linked to its intelligence, and they compared some of their habits with those of Monkeys.
An international team, made up of researchers in paleontology, behavioral sciences and neuroscience, has re-examined the size and structure of the brain in different dinosaurs and concluded that they behaved in a similar way to how crocodiles or lizards behaved.
Researchers from the British Universities of Bristol and Southampton participated in the new work, the results of which are published today in the journal The Anatomical Record. Heinrich Heine (Germany); From the University of Alberta and the Royal Ontario Museum – both in Canada -; and the Miquel Crosafont Catalan Institute of Paleontology (ICP).
In the study published last year, the researchers confirmed that the large number of neurons was directly linked to the intelligence of dinosaurs, and they also cited the cultural transmission of knowledge or the use of tools as examples of cognitive traits that this species could offer. , press reports from the University of Bristol.
However, the researchers closely examined the techniques they used to estimate dinosaur brain size and number of neurons, and concluded that their conclusions about dinosaur brain size and number of neurons were unreliable.
Over the past few decades, paleontologists and biologists have examined the size and anatomy of dinosaur brains and used this data to infer their behavior and lifestyle.
The research team concluded that brain size, especially the frontal part, had been overestimated in previous studies, and therefore the number of neurons as well, and concluded that estimates of the number of neurons were not a reliable indicator of the intelligence of these animals.
In the new article appearing today, the research team argues that in order to robustly reconstruct the biology of extinct species, various aspects must be analysed, such as their skeletal anatomy, bone tissue, behavior of current relatives or fossilized traces.
“To determine the intelligence of dinosaurs and other extinct animals, we must integrate different pieces of evidence, ranging from general anatomy to fossil footprints, and not focus solely on estimates of the number of neurons,” explained Hadi George, from Bristol's School of Science. University land.
Neuron numbers “are not good predictors of cognitive performance, and using them to predict intelligence in extinct species can lead to highly misleading interpretations,” according to researcher Ornella Bertrand, from the Miquel Crosafont Catalan Institute of Paleontology.
Darren Naish (from the University of Southampton) concluded that “the possibility that Tyrannosaurus rex was as intelligent as a baboon is fascinating and terrifying and means reshaping our view of the past,” and stressed that the new data “contradict this idea.” They were like giant intelligent crocodiles, which is quite remarkable.
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