Dinosaurs less intelligent than previously thought; behaved more like crocodiles: Study

A new international study throws cold water on the idea that dinosaurs might have been as intelligent as monkeys. A team, led by paleontologists, behavioural scientists, and neurologists, re-evaluated dinosaur brain size and structure, concluding they behaved more like crocodiles and lizards.

In 2023, a study suggested dinosaurs like T. Rex boasted a surprisingly high number of neurons, suggesting that they were more intelligent than assumed.

The new research takes a critical look at the methods used to estimate dinosaur brain size and neuron count. The team found previous assumptions regarding their brain size were unreliable, which resulted in an overestimation of overall intelligence.

The team argues that researchers need to consider a broader range of evidence, including skeletal structure, bone composition, behavior of living relatives, and even fossil footprints, to paint a more accurate picture of dinosaur biology.

"The possibility that T. rex might have been as intelligent 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 smart giant crocodiles, and that’s just as fascinating," concluded Dr Darren Naish of the University of Southampton.

The study was led by Dr Kai Caspar of the Heinrich Heine University with Dr Cristian Gutierrez-Ibanez of the University of Alberta and Dr Grant Hurlburt of the Royal Ontario Museum. Their findings are published in The Anatomical Record.

More details can be found here.