China's new discovery reveals how horned dinosaurs traded sharp senses for massive size

A recent study by an international team of palaeontologists has revealed that horned dinosaurs, or ceratopsians, underwent significant changes over 100 million years of evolution.

While they grew larger in size, their sensory and cognitive abilities, such as hearing and smell, deteriorated over time. This is reported by Xinhua News Agency, a partner of TV BRICS.

The research, conducted by scientists from the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), the Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and other institutions, has revealed that early ceratopsians had relatively larger brains compared to their modern reptilian counterparts, which likely supported more complex behaviours.

Using advanced CT scanning and 3D modelling, the researchers analysed the cranial morphology of three ceratopsian fossils discovered in China, dating back to the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous periods.

The study attributes the sensory and neurological decline in larger ceratopsians to their increased size. Smaller early ceratopsians depended on their heightened sensory capabilities to evade predators, whereas larger species, equipped with formidable body mass and defensive horns, relied less on acute senses for survival.

Beyond ceratopsians, the research offers valuable insights into broader principles of biological evolution, highlighting the trade-offs between size and sensory or neurological functions over millions of years.

According to the source, these findings deepen our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics that shaped these prehistoric giants.

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