Scientists have digitally rebuilt the brain of a dinosaur, revealing"surprising" insights into its diet and behavior.
"Our analysis of Thecodontosaurus' brain uncovered many fascinating features, some of which were quite surprising," Antonio Ballell, a PhD student at the University of Bristol's School of Earth Sciences, said in a statement. Large fossils of the dinosaur, also known as the"Bristol dinosaur," were discovered in the 1800s, but scientists have only recently been able to study the specimens in detail without destroying them, using 3D models generated from CT scans.
"The braincase of Thecodontosaurus is beautifully preserved so we compared it to other dinosaurs, identifying common features and some that are specific to Thecodontosaurus," Ballell said.