A study published in Nature has provided new insights into the environment during that time dinosaur began to dominate EarthAnalysis conducted on samples of fossilized feces or coprolites has revealed undigested remains of food, plants, and prey, offering evidence of the dietary habits and ecological role of dinosaurs about 200 million years ago. The findings address a 30 million year gap in understanding the evolutionary rise of dinosaurs during the Late Triassic period.
Major discoveries from coprolite analysis
Research With material collected over 25 years, the focus was on the northern regions of the supercontinent Pangaea. Advanced imaging techniques were used to examine the internal structures of the coprolites, revealing well-preserved remains of fish, insects and large prey. In particular, there is evidence of hunters eating and digesting bones to turn them into salt and marrow, a behavior seen today in species such as hyenas.
Tree ferns and other plants were found in coprolites of herbivorous dinosaurs such as early sauropods. Researchers were surprised by the discovery of charcoal in these specimens, which suggested that these dinosaurs ingested it to neutralize toxins found in some ferns.
Adaptability as a survival mechanism
In the study, the dietary diversity of these early dinosaurs was highlighted as a key factor in their evolutionary success. The ability to adapt to changing environments through plant consumption was crucial to their survival, research co-author Grzegorz Niedzwiedzki explained in a statement. According to the findings, these herbivorous dinosaurs preferred fresh plant shoots, which enabled them to endure environmental upheaval during the Late Triassic.
The study contributes to our understanding of how adaptability in diet and behavior allowed dinosaurs to thrive amid climate challenges, paving the way for their dominance of the planet.