Dinosaur feces from 200 million years ago reveal how they dominated the Earth

What triggered the “Age of the Dinosaurs”? How did they come to “power”? Coprolites, fossilized dinosaur excrement more than 200 million years old, provide valuable information about their diet and how they managed to become the true kings of the Jurassic ecosystem.

An international team of scientists led by researchers from Uppsala University (Sweden) reconstructed the details of this origin in its evolution until it dominated all other creatures on our planet at the beginning of the Jurassic period and for 165 million yearsthanks to the study of coprolites from the Late Triassic Polish Basin, a region in the northern part of the supercontinent Pangea.

What do poop tell us about dinosaur diets?

Using advanced synchrotron imaging, the researchers analyzed hundreds of samples of both digested and undigested fossil food; various types coprolites (fossilized feces), regurgitalitis (petrified vomit) and cololitis (fossilized feces that were still in the dinosaur’s intestines when it died). And following their research, they were able to reconstruct the ancient food chains of these magnificent creatures, offering new insights into how dinosaurs adapted and achieved their dominance over our planet (including the king of the dinosaurs).

Studying the diet of extinct animals is challenging because stomach contents preserved in fossils are rare. However, there are a few surprising exceptions that provide truly valuable information. And it seems like it was a real job detectives of the past.

Combining their findings with historical climate and plant data, the results showed: variety in your diet and him adaptabilitykey factors that contributed to their evolutionary success and made them iconic creatures. The most important feature of the dinosaur diet was the variety of different foods that they consumed, which allowed them to adapt to an ever-changing environment and always put them ahead of your more specialized competitors. No matter how difficult the weather was, they always found something to eat.

And what did they eat?

Some scat fossils have revealed a surprising variety of remains, including fragments fish, insects -like little bugs- larger animals and plants. In some cases, bones have also been found crushed by predators, likely in an attempt to obtain nutrients such as mineral salts and bone marrow, behavior reminiscent of modern hyenas.

On the other hand, coprolites associated with long-necked sauropods (such as Mamenchisaurus sinocanadorum), which are among the first herbivorous dinosaurs, have been shown abundant remains of tree ferns and various plant species it was part of their diet.

Key to success

The adaptability that dinosaurs demonstrated to survive underscores the success of these creatures in our past world. And the Late Triassic period was marked by major environmental upheavals, including climate change and mass extinctions, and their ability to consume food of all kinds likely gave them the opportunity evolutionary advantage.

As increased volcanic activity promoted the diversification of plant species, larger and more diverse species of herbivorous dinosaurs emerged; Thus, predators had larger prey. This line of growth continued until allowing the dinosaurs to fight their way to the top.

The researchers hope to expand their research to other parts of the world to confirm their findings and learn more about the diet of dinosaurs. “Understanding how dinosaurs came to dominate teaches us about the long-term consequences of climate change and extinction. These ancient patterns can help us better understand current and future problems of climate change and extinction,” the experts conclude in their work, published in the journal Nature.