In a recent study, an international team of researchers challenged other research that stated the Tyrannosaurus rex possessed high levels of intelligence similar to those of monkeys. Led by Dr. Kai Caspar of Heinrich Heine University, the study re-examined the size and structure of the dinosaur brain, reassessing the cognitive abilities of the king of dinosaurs.
Previous research has suggested that the T. rex it had an unusually high number of neurons, leading to assumptions about its intelligence, metabolism, and behavior. These claims compared the cognitive abilities of T. rex to that of monkeys, citing examples such as the cultural transmission of knowledge and the use of tools.
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New observations about the intelligence of the T-rex
However, the most recent study, published in The Anatomical Record, which involved experts from the University of Bristol, University of Southampton, University of Alberta, Royal Ontario Museum and Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, challenges these claims. The team closely examined the techniques used to predict brain size and the number of neurons in dinosaur brains and found them to be unreliable.
Dr. Hady George, from the University of Bristol, highlighted that previous assumptions about dinosaur brain size, especially in relation to the telencephalon, were overestimated. Furthermore, the team emphasized that estimates of the number of neurons are not a reliable indicator of intelligence.
Defending a broader vision
To accurately reconstruct the biology of extinct species like the T. rex, researchers advocate considering multiple lines of evidence, including skeletal anatomy, bone histology, behavior of living relatives, and track fossils. Caspar highlighted that we only argue that they are not a good practice for predicting intelligence in extinct species.
Determining the intelligence of dinosaurs and other extinct animals is best done using a range of evidence, from gross anatomy to fossilized footprints, rather than relying solely on estimates of the number of neurons.
Dr Hady George, University of Bristol
Dr. Ornella Bertrand, from the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, highlighted that “neuron counts are not good predictors of cognitive performance, and using them to predict intelligence in extinct species can lead to highly misleading interpretations.”
The possibility that the T. rex could have been as smart as a baboon is fascinating and terrifying, with the potential to reinvent our view of the past. But our study shows how all the data we have is against this idea. They were more like giant intelligent crocodiles, and that’s equally fascinating.
Dr Darren Naish, University of Southampton
