A recent study in Current Biology used CT scanning and imaging software to reconstruct the brain cavities of pterosaur fossils and compare them with close relatives. The research focused on brain regions tied to vision, notably the optic lobe, and was funded in part by the National Science Foundation and other agencies.
The team compared pterosaurs with a flightless, tree-dwelling lagerpetid from the Triassic (242 to 212 million years ago). They found the lagerpetid already showed vision-related adaptations, including an enlarged optic lobe, and pterosaurs shared that feature. However, pterosaur brains differed from the lagerpetid in overall shape and size. Matteo Fabbri of Johns Hopkins Medicine argues these few similarities suggest flying pterosaurs acquired powered flight rapidly at their origin, even while retaining relatively small brains similar to true non-flying dinosaurs.
The study also notes that some pterosaurs grew very large and that pterosaurs are the oldest of three vertebrate groups to evolve self-powered flight, alongside birds and bats. Researchers compared pterosaur brain cavities with those of crocodile ancestors, early extinct birds, troodontids and Archaeopteryx lithographica, and recommend future work on brain structure as well as size.
- Funding and support from multiple foundations and agencies
- Comparisons with birds, bats and dinosaur relatives
- Call for studies of brain structure, size and shape
Difficult words
- reconstruct — make a model of something from evidence
- cavity — a hollow or empty space inside somethingcavities
- optic lobe — brain area involved mainly in processing vision
- lagerpetid — a small, extinct reptile group related to dinosaurs
- adaptation — a physical or behavioural change that helps survivaladaptations
- powered flight — sustained flight produced by the animal's own muscles
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Why does comparing brain structure, not just size, matter for understanding pterosaur behaviour?
- What does the presence of vision-related adaptations in a tree-dwelling lagerpetid suggest about the origins of flight?
- How could the finding that pterosaurs retained relatively small brains change our ideas about the relationship between brain size and flight?
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