A new study claims that dinosaurs were not as intelligent as we thought

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 of researchers in paleontology, behavioral sciences and neuroscience has re-examined the size and structure of the brain in different dinosaurs and He concluded that they behave in a similar way to how crocodiles or lizards behave.

In the new work, the results of which are published today in the journal The Anatomical Record, Researchers from the British Universities of Bristol and Southampton participated in it. 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 examined in detail the techniques they used to estimate brain size and number of neurons in dinosaurs They 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, it is necessary to integrate various pieces of evidence, ranging from general anatomy to fossil footprints, and not focus solely on estimates of the number of neurons.”Hadi George, from the University of Bristol's School of Earth Sciences, explained.

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 Catalan Miquel Crosafont Institute of Paleontology.

Darren Naish (University of Southampton) concluded: “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 equally remarkable.”

(With information from EFE)