Scientists have analyzed fossilized samples of dinosaur feces to learn more about the ecological influence of dinosaurs about 200 million years ago. In this work, hundreds of samples were tested with synchrotron technology, which revealed the internal parts of the fossilized dung, which is also known as coprolite. The undigested remnants of dinosaur foods including plant material and meat from prey was used to understand the ecological states that dinosaurs were living in when dinosaur species were starting their successful existence. The findings have been reported in Nature.
“Piecing together ‘who ate whom’ in the past is true detective work,” said lead study author Martin Qvarnström, a researcher at Uppsala University. “Being able to examine what animals ate and how they interacted with their environment helps us understand what enabled dinosaurs to be so successful.”
In this work, the researchers focused on the Polish Basin, which was part of the supercontinent Pangea during the Late Triassic period. The investigators created a picture of the ecosystems about 230 to 200 million years ago, during the Triassic and Jurassic periods.
They used climactic data, along with information about fossils and the coprolites. “The research material was collected over a period of 25 years. It took us many years to piece everything together into a coherent picture,” noted senior study author Grzegorz Niedźwiedzki, a researcher at Uppsala University. “Our research is innovative because we have chosen to understand the biology of early dinosaurs based on their dietary preferences. There were many surprising discoveries along the way.”
There were bits of some animals, fish, insects, and plant material in the coprolite. Some of the evidence was quite well preserved; the researchers observed specimens of small beetles and large parts of fish. Some coprolite contained chewed bones.
Coprolites from some of the first large herbivorous dinosaurs, the sauropods, were a surprise to the researchers. There were many tree ferns, along with other plants, as well as charcoal. The study authors suggested that charcoal may have helped to detoxify the dinosaurs' stomachs, since ferns may be toxic to herbivores.
The Late Triassic period is not well studied, and this research has provided many new insights into that time. Scientists also still have a lot to learn about the evolution and rise of the dinosaurs.
This researchers noted that a better understanding of the influences that led to the success of the dinosaurs, which spent over 150 million years on Earth, can help us learn more about ecology and evolution in general.
“Unfortunately, climate change and mass extinctions are not just a thing of the past. By studying past ecosystems, we gain a better understanding of how life adapts and thrives under changing environmental conditions,” added Qvarnström.
“The way to avoid extinction is to eat a lot of plants, which is exactly what the early herbivorous dinosaurs did. The reason for their evolutionary success is a true love of green and fresh plant shoots,” said Niedzwiedzki.
Sources: Uppsala University, Nature
