Dinosaur Intelligence

Dinosaur Intelligence

Dinosaur Intelligence
Introduction
Compared to their physical size, dinosaurs had small brains. This ahs been a misleading concept in the attempt to deduce hoe intelligent dinosaurs were. Dinosaurs were reptiles and thus it is more practical to compare dinosaur brains with those of living reptiles. This fair comparison suggests that dinosaur brains were in fact the average size as of those in living reptiles. In vertebrates, evolutionary pressures did not translate to an increase in the size of the brain. This translate that natural selection in the evolutionary development of species during the age of dinosaurs did not actually ensure that intelligent species had more chances of survival than species that were less intelligent.
The size of dinosaur brains
Scientists approximate on the size of dinosaurs based on the size of their endocasts. This is the cavity in the cranium that holds the brain. In mammals and birds the brain size can be approximated with a small margin of error to actually reflect brain size (Jerison, 1969). This is not the case with dinosaurs, however the endocasts can be used to grossly approximate on cranial features such as the hind brain, mid and fore brain. It is therefore possible to approximate on the volume of dinosaur brains from their endocasts exhibited on fossils. In vertebrates, the brain is the body’s neurological center coordinating muscular movement (Jerison, 1969).
As with other organs in a living animal, the brain size varies in different species regardless of body size (Jerison, 1969). Intelligence is assumed to be relative to brain size, sensory coordination and dexterity. To adequately approximate the size of the dinosaur brain, it is prudent to make comparison with it nearest living relative, the alligator (Jerison, 1969). An alligators brain is approximately half the size of it endocasts. Thus, an assumption is made that to be as close as possible to the nearest approximation of a dinosaur’s brain size; the cranial...