Dinosaur poop offers clues about how these reptiles dominated Earth

Analysis of fossilized feces and vomit, an unusual source of information in paleontology, has provided some valuable clues about how large dinosaurs emerged and came to dominate the Earth. Researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden worked on this research. More than 500 fossils spanning a period of 30 million years, from the late Triassic to the early Jurassic.

The study, recently published in the journal Nature, involved detailed analysis of various fossilized remains of digestive material (bromalites) found in the Polish Basin: coprolites (fossilized feces), regurgitalites (fossilized vomitus), and cololiths (fossilized feces still found in the soil). dinosaur’s intestine when it died).

According to the study’s lead author, Martin Qvarnström of Uppsala University in Sweden, “Putting together ‘who ate who’ in the past is real detective work.” Studying what dinosaurs ate helps understand what made them so successful for so long, he explains in a statement.

Explanations of dinosaur diets and behavior

In the study, the authors used synchrotron imaging, which creates high-resolution images of the hidden interiors of coprolites for detailed visualization. By identifying undigested food, plant and prey remains, the idea emerged to recreate the structure of ecosystems from the time dinosaurs began to establish themselves on the planet.

Analysis of these bromalids collected over 25 years has revealed some fascinating details about the feeding habits of these giants. In some coprolites, researchers found surprising remains, such as insects that were completely preserved, with legs and antennae still identifiable.

Contrary to previous scientific expectations, studies have shown that Many carnivorous dinosaurs ate land animalsand not just fish and insects, as previously thought. Among herbivores, sauropods consumed burnt plants that served to absorb toxins from poisonous ferns, according to the researchers.

Innovative scientific methodology in the study of dinosaurs

The research led by Martin Qvarnström can be considered a methodological milestone in modern paleontology, not only for its versatile approach to these ancient creatures, but also because it addresses an important under-researched gap: The first 30 million years of dinosaur evolution during the Late Triassic.

Although there is much material about the lives and extinction of dinosaurs, little is known about their enduring rise. Therefore, Qvarnström told ScienceAlert, “Analyzing bromalites gives us direct evidence of what animals ate. We encountered many surprises along the way that we would never have predicted by looking at the fossil bone record alone.”

According to Qvarnström, studies of primitive ecosystems provide insight into how life adapts and evolves under harsh environmental conditions. And Niedzwiedzk gives a hint: “The road Need to eat a lot of plants to avoid extinctionThat’s exactly what the first herbivorous dinosaurs did. “The reason for its evolutionary success is a genuine love of fresh, green plant shoots.”

Final results and perspectives of the study

The findings challenge simplistic narratives about the evolution of species that rely solely on physical characteristics. Ancient dinosaurs proved surprisingly dynamic, responding creatively to environmental challenges and making their eating habits more flexible in order to survive.

Dinosaurs ate different types of plants as they had a general diet, meaning they weren’t dependent on very specific vegetables, so they weren’t limited by the scarcity of certain plants. This nutritional flexibility allowed them to grow more easily as they always had a varied menu..

As a result, they multiplied rapidly and became an abundant food source for carnivores; Carnivores also evolved into larger and larger predators. When the Jurassic period came, 201.3 million years ago, An Earth dominated by giant plant-eating dinosaurs and ferocious carnivores.

Qvarnstrom now plans to take his revolutionary model to other regions, such as southern Pangea, considered the birthplace of dinosaurs.

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