[elleparismaroc 2023] 'Art photo' of the oldest Spinosaurus brain ever seen

Researchers from the University of Southampton in the UK and the University of Ohio in the US have teamed up to create the oldest Spinosaurus brain and inner ear to date. To reveal how these large carnivorous dinosaurs interacted with their environment. Related research published in the latest issue "Journal of Anatomy"

Spinosaurus was a huge theropod dinosaur with elongated crocodile-like jaws and conical teeth. This helps them adapt to an aquatic lifestyle. This includes hunting for bait (such as large fish) along the river bank. This lifestyle was very different from that of theropod dinosaurs such as Allosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex. This makes Spinosaurus one of the most controversial dinosaur species.

Better understand the evolution of the Spinosaurus brain and senses. The team scanned Surrey's Baryonyx fossils and the Isle of Wight's Helucerasaurus from brain carapace material. The two oldest spinosaurus known date back to the early Cretaceous, 125 million years ago. The skulls of both dinosaur specimens are well preserved. And the team digitally reconstructed the long-rotting internal soft tissue.

They found that the odor processing ducts of these two spinosaurs were not particularly developed. The ear may be sensitive to low-frequency sounds. And other parts of the brain, the ability to stare at prey without moving the head are less developed. Late Spinosaurus

Chris Barker, a PhD student at the University of Southampton who led the study, said: "Despite the unusual habitat of these ancient spinosaurs, they seem to have many components in their brains and senses, as in other large theropods. There is no evidence that they were semi-aquatic. Their lifestyle has to do with how their brains are structured. ”

Researchers say this latest discovery indicates that spinosaurus ancestors had brains and senses adapted to a semi-fish lifestyle. And Spinosaurus had to evolve an unusual nose and teeth to become a semi-aquatic animal.

Researchers point out that advances in fossil CT imaging can now assess the cognitive and sensory abilities of extinct animals. Learn how the brains of dinosaurs like Spinosaurus evolved. Fossil New Revolution Expected to Revolutionize the Field