Scientists digitally rebuild dinosaur’s brain, learn about its diet

Team Udayavani, Dec 15, 2020, 4:12 PM IST

The University of Bristol’s scientists have “rebuilt” the brain of a Thecodontosaurus, that roamed England some 205 million years ago, using advanced imaging and 3D modelling techniques.

Researchers claim unlike its plant-eating relatives, Thecodontosaurus may have eaten meat and could have walked on two legs. Experts also reconstructed its inner ears and estimated that it had a high hearing frequency.

The Bristol dinosaur roamed the Earth about 205 million years ago during the Triassic age. The 3-D modelling software allowed researchers for the first time to gain new insights into the dinosaur’s brain without having to destroy any fossils.

The dinosaur’s diet has been a subject of debate among scholars, although the rebuilt digital brain suggests it could have been an omnivore.