By Will DunhamWASHINGTON (Reuters) – Surmising even the physical appearance of a dinosaur – or any extinct animal – based on its fossils is a tricky proposition, with so many uncertainties involved. Assessing a dinosaur’s intelligence, considering the innumerable factors contributing to that trait, is exponentially more difficult.A study published last year by Vanderbilt University neuroscientist Suzana Herculano-Houzel that evaluated the intelligence of Tyrannosaurus rex, focusing upon estimated brain size and the number of brain neurons, as comparable to that of primates – specifically a baboon – caused a stir in scientific circles.Now, an interdisciplinary scientific team has published a study in rebuttal, questioning Herculano-Houzel’s methodology and challenging her appraisal of the smarts of T. rex and other big dinosaur predators in the dinosaur clade called theropods.They instead suggested a more holistic approach to assess the braininess of Tyrannosaurus or any extinct animal, with brain size and neuronal count considered alongside other factors such as an animal’s anatomy and ecology, data from living relatives, and fossil evidence about how it moved about and fed that offer insight into its life.”Our key findings are that the brains of most dinosaurs, including T. rex, were comparable in relative size to those of living reptiles, such as crocodiles an …
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[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nnBy Will DunhamWASHINGTON (Reuters) – Surmising even the physical appearance of a dinosaur – or any extinct animal – based on its fossils is a tricky proposition, with so many uncertainties involved. Assessing a dinosaur’s intelligence, considering the innumerable factors contributing to that trait, is exponentially more difficult.A study published last year by Vanderbilt University neuroscientist Suzana Herculano-Houzel that evaluated the intelligence of Tyrannosaurus rex, focusing upon estimated brain size and the number of brain neurons, as comparable to that of primates – specifically a baboon – caused a stir in scientific circles.Now, an interdisciplinary scientific team has published a study in rebuttal, questioning Herculano-Houzel’s methodology and challenging her appraisal of the smarts of T. rex and other big dinosaur predators in the dinosaur clade called theropods.They instead suggested a more holistic approach to assess the braininess of Tyrannosaurus or any extinct animal, with brain size and neuronal count considered alongside other factors such as an animal’s anatomy and ecology, data from living relatives, and fossil evidence about how it moved about and fed that offer insight into its life.”Our key findings are that the brains of most dinosaurs, including T. rex, were comparable in relative size to those of living reptiles, such as crocodiles an …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]
