First ever fossilized dinosaur brain found in Sussex, 133 million years old - Polidicks

[quote]A brown pebble found in Sussex 10 years ago is actually the fossilised brain of a dinosaur thought to have lived 133 million years ago, scientists have revealed. It is the first time anyone has seen what a dinosaur brain looked like as no other fossils have been found. And the researchers said the discovery raised the tantalising prospect that the creature, believed to be a species similar to an Iguanodon, may have had an unexpectedly large brain. However, they cautioned against drawing any conclusions about the dinosaur’s intelligence. Normally, brain tissue would have quickly decayed, but it is thought the dying animal fell into a bog and the organ was pickled by the highly acidic and low-oxygen water. One of the researchers, Dr Alex Liu, of Cambridge University's Department of Earth Sciences, said: “The chances of preserving brain tissue are incredibly small, so the discovery of this specimen is astonishing.” [...] The researchers used a scanning electron microscope to identify membranes, called meninges, that surrounded the brain. Structures that could be brain tissue itself also appear to be present. The scientists said there were similarities between the fossil and the brains of birds and crocodiles, the descendant of the few dinosaurs that managed to survive the Earth’s last mass extinction of life about 65 million years ago. However, reptiles’ brains are normally shaped like a sausage with about half of the skull cavity taken up by blood vessels and sinuses. In this case the fossilised brain appears to press directly against the skull, which could mean the dinosaur had a bigger brain than previously thought. But the researchers said it was more likely that the dinosaur’s head had been upside down, so as the brain decayed slightly it collapsed down onto the top of the skull. Dr David Norman, also from Cambridge, who took part in the research, said: “As we can't see the lobes of the brain itself, we can't say for sure how big this dinosaur's brain was. “Of course, it's entirely possible that dinosaurs had bigger brains than we give them credit for, but we can't tell from this specimen alone. [/quote] [url]http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/dinosaur-brain-fossil-discovered-sussex-intelligence-bigger-a7383076.html#gallery[/url] [url]http://sp.lyellcollection.org/content/early/2016/10/25/SP448.3.full.pdf+html[/url] Picture in source

Yoooo that's pretty fucking rad

that is a weird head-blob

Jurassic park when

[QUOTE]Normally, brain tissue would have quickly decayed, but it is thought the dying animal fell into a bog and the organ was pickled by the highly acidic and low-oxygen water. [/QUOTE] Eww, pickled brains.

It would be interesting if we could map how exactly the brain itself functions. Though hopefully it gave at least a good imprint to do so.

[QUOTE=Deathtrooper2;51273649]It would be interesting if we could map how exactly the brain itself functions. Though hopefully it gave at least a good imprint to do so.[/QUOTE] Strictly it's quite impossible to do that, since to determine functions the brain itself must still be living. You'll get a decent anatomical model and microscopic structure, even IHC and genetics, but nothing else.

[QUOTE=Zonesylvania;51273664]Strictly it's quite impossible to do that, since to determine functions the brain itself must still be living. You'll get a decent anatomical model and microscopic structure, even IHC and genetics, but nothing else.[/QUOTE] Cant we just plug it into the wall socket and see what happens

Wait does this mean they could potentially extract DNA and make a dinosaur like they're attempting with the mammoth?

no DNA, it's just a rock shaped like a brain

[QUOTE=omarfr;51273900]Wait does this mean they could potentially extract DNA and make a dinosaur like they're attempting with the mammoth?[/QUOTE] The DNA would've already broken down after a few million years.

Aww man. That's what's i assumed but a boy can dream can't he?

[QUOTE=omarfr;51273991]Aww man. That's what's i assumed but a boy can dream can't he?[/QUOTE] You'll just have to make do with chickens for now.

It's downright breathtaking how much we have in common even though we split up hundreds of millions of years ago.