A new study conducted by the University of Bristol published online, this study reveals how the dinosaur brain and inner ear develop.
Stephan Lautenschlager of the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol in the UK collaborated with Tom Hübner of the Lower Saxony Museum in Hanover, Germany, to study two Jurassic dinosaur brain fossils 150 million years ago.
The two fossils of dinosaur brains studied by two paleontologists belong to Dysalotosaurus lettowvorbecki, but they are of different sizes: one is a very young juvenile individual (about three years old), and the other is a fully developed specimen (over twelve year old).
The oak dragon belongs to the Ornihopoda (Ornithischia), is a small, plant-eating dinosaur that lived in Tanzania in the late Jurassic (about 150 million years ago).
The author of the paper, Stephan Lautenschlager, said: "Two different growth stages of oak dragons provide a unique opportunity to study their brains and how they develop during animal growth."
Using high-resolution CT scanning and three-dimensional computer imaging, paleontologists can reconstruct and visualize the oak dragon's brain and inner ear.
Co-author Tom Hübner said: "The well-preserved fossil materials that can be used to reconstruct brain anatomy are usually rare. Therefore, we have studied different growth stages."
By observing the brain and inner ear anatomy, the researchers found that the oak dragon's brain has undergone considerable changes as it grows-most likely to respond to environmental and metabolic needs. However, an important part of the process of hearing and cognition has been developed in young individuals.
Stephan Lautenschlager said: "Our research shows that the brains of young dinosaurs are already developing, fully adapted to their environment, and communicate with other dinosaurs."
This research is of great significance for paleontologists to understand how parts of the brain of dinosaurs develop. However, further research in this area is necessary to explore whether the pattern of individual dinosaur brain development is also reflected in the large-scale trend of dinosaur evolution over 150 million years.
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