Scientists build 3D reconstruction of dinosaur’s head

Researchers used micro-tomographies to identify the pieces and work out where its muscles used to be

Dinosaur bones. Source: Pexels

Researchers from Argentina, the United Kingdom, and Germany have reconstructed the skull of a small Jurassic dinosaur that inhabited Patagonia 170 million years ago. 

Its remains were found in the southern province of Chubut and were analyzed by the scientists in the Egidio Feruglio Paleontological Museum located in the city of Trelew. 

The Manidens condorensis is thought to have lived in Chubut, and its remains were well-preserved.

Dr Marcos G. Becerra, who was on the research team, said in an article published by the Egidio Feruglio Museum that “it is one of the most complete skulls in the field of the heterodontosaurids, a family of small dinosaurs who have big fangs and long muzzles, similar to some mammals”. 

The dinosaur’s remains were mechanically separated from the rock at the museum. After finding its fossils in the rock, the researchers prepared the fossil and therefore reconstructed the skull first and then its muscles after using micro-CT scans.

“Although the preservation of the fossil is very good, many of the bones of the cranium are disjointed, forming compact blocks of overlapping bone, and because they were so small and the fossils were so fragile, it wasn’t possible to isolate them mechanically, so computational tomographies were used that facilitated the reconstruction,” Becerra said.

Diagram of the dinosaur’s skull. Source: Egidio Feruglio Museum

From there, micro-tomographies done in Germany made it possible to distinguish the pieces without damaging them. That way, the team identified “over 80% of this species’ cranium,” the specialist said.

This allowed them to see the bones separately for the first time so they could be described, making it possible to tell where the bones touched, discover where they intersected with the muscles, and ultimately, reconstruct the jaw muscles.

“The research provides data to understand what the skull of this small species was like, and also provides novel information for future studies: from studies that will improve the understanding of phylogenetic relationships between heterodontosaurids and other lineages, to palaeo-neurological approaches, bite strength calculations and biomechanical studies with the use of three-dimensional models,” said the article published by the institution.

The research is one of Argentina’s most complete descriptions of dinosaur skulls.

-Télam

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