A new study by researchers from the University of Bristol sheds light on how the inner ear and brains of dinosaurs developed.
Stephan Lautenschlager from Bristol's School of Earth Sciences, together with Tom Hübner from the Niedersächsische Landesmuseum in Hannover, Germany conducted a study that sheds light on the development of the inner ear and brains of dinosaurs. For the study, the two analyzed the brains of 150 million-year-old dinosaurs.
They looked at different fossils of the Jurassic dinosaur Dysalotosaurus lettowvorbecki, a very young dinosaur, about three years old and a fully grown specimen of more than 12 years of age.
Stephan Lautenschlager, lead author of the paper, said: "The two different growth stages of Dysalotosaurus provided a unique opportunity to study their brain, and how it developed during the growth of the animal."
With the help of 3D computer imaging and high-resolution CT scanning, the two paleontologists were able to reconstruct and visualize the brain and inner ear of Dysalotosaurus lettowvorbecki - a small, plant-eating dinosaur, which lived 150 million years ago in Tanzania.
"Well-preserved fossil material, which can be used to reconstruct the brain anatomy, is usually rare. Thus, we were fortunate to have different growth stages available for our study," co-author Tom Hübner said. "By looking at the brain and inner ear anatomy, the two researchers found that the brain of Dysalotosaurus underwent considerable changes during growth - most likely as a response to environmental and metabolic requirements. However, important parts responsible for the sense of hearing and cognitive processes were already well developed in the young individual."
The findings of the study were published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology. It was funded by a research fellowship to Stephan Lautenschlager from the German Volkswagen Foundation.
