Researchers reconstruct first complete brain of one of the world's oldest dinosaurs

Brazilian researchers reconstructed the first complete brain of one of the world's oldest dinosaurs, according to a recent study.

The brain belongs to Buriolestes schultzi — a carnivorous dinosaur that walked the earth during the Triassic period, over 230 million years ago. At just 1.5 grams, it'srelatively small in size, but great in impact within the field of paleontology.

"Our knowledge on the anatomy of the first dinosaurs (Late Triassic, 235–205 Ma) has drastically increased in the last years," write the researchers, who are from Universidade Federal de Santa Maria and Universidade de São Paulo. "Nevertheless, some structures such as the neurocranium...remain poorly known...This study helps to fill this gap."

Much of the reason scientists have been unable to reconstruct dinosaur brains in the past is because it's rare to unearth skulls with complete "braincases," or protective bone that once surrounded the brain.

But that was not the case for Rodrigo Temp Müller, a paleontologist from the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM) and co-author of the study. According to a news release by UFSM, Müller dug up a 233 million-year-old Buriolestes schultzi skeleton in 2015 — it was in excellent condition, with the entire braincase preserved.

Because soft tissues (like brains) are rarely preserved for long periods of time, researchers remodeled the organ by examining cranial cavities of the braincase — with a technique called tomography.

For Buriolestes schultzi, researchers found the brain shape resembled that of modern-day crocodiles. Well-developed structures in the cerebellum also indicated high skill in tracking prey.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: First complete dinosaur brain reconstructed by Brazilian researchers