Pawpawsaurusis a lot previous than its prehistoric cousin-german , the famously cooler - similar , club - tailedAnkylosaurus , and it miss the tail weaponry . But this early armoured dinosaur did , however , have a surprisingly sharp signified of feeling , and that may have helped this flora - eater quash its would - be predatory animal . The findings are published inPLOS Onethis week .
The well - preserved skull ofPawpawsaurus campbelliwas discovered in the 100 - million - year - old upper Albian Paw Paw Formation in Tarrant County , Texas , back in 1992 . It was name a few yr after . Pawpawsauruslived along the shore of an inland ocean that used to separate the North American continent . This herbivorous dinosaur had armoured plates across its back and on its eyelid likeAnkylosaurus , which come some 35 million long time by and by . Over the course of armored dino phylogeny , they develop club - corresponding tails and a stable regard that help them conserve balance while exert their profound golf-club .
Now , a team guide by Ariana Paulina - Carabajal of CONICET - INIBIOMA has imaged thePawpawsaurusskull using CT scanning , allow them to digitally reconstruct 3-D models of its braincase and inner ear .
Their employment expose an enlarged nasal cavity . " That may have helpedPawpawsaurusbellow out a miserable range of utterance , improved its good sense of smelling , and cooled the inflow of air to govern the temperature of blood menstruate into the brain , " Paulina - Carabajal explained in astatement .
Based on the ratio of its olfactory electric-light bulb to its cerebral hemisphere , Pawpawsaurusdidn’t have as good a signified of smell asAnklyosaurus . These later ankylosaurians also had bony ridgeline in their nasal cavity to guide flow of air . But it was still sharper than that of carnivore and other dinosaurs at the prison term . " It probably relied on that to search for food , find mate and avoid or flee predators , " Paulina - Carabajaladded . Its sense of smell was overstep only by carcharodontosaurids and tyrannosaurids .
to boot , when the squad examine a helping of the dinosaur ’s inner ear call the lagena – which comprehend sounds – they found thatPawpawsauruslikely had a alike sentiency of hear as that of live crocodile .
Image in the text : Pawpawsaurus exemplification by Karen Carr
