Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A new study of the brain of the predatory dinosaur Tarbosaurus bataar (Theropoda, Tyrannosauridae)

  • Published:
Paleontological Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The brain morphology and the topography of the cranial nerves on an endocranial mold of the theropod dinosaur Tarbosaurus bataar (Tyrannosauridae) are examined. The brain of this dinosaur was constructed based on the reptile archetype, with a well-developed specialized olfactory analyzer. In terms of development, the visual centers were superseded not only by the olfactory centers, but also by the auditory centers. Comparative analysis of the brain structure of Tarbosaurus and Tyrannosaurus shows clear distinctions in the topography of roots of the accessory and trigeminal nerves.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. V. R. Alifanov, “Macrocephalosaurs and Early Stages of the Evolution of Lizards of Mongolia,” Tr. Paleontol. Inst. Ross. Akad. Nauk 272, 1–126 (2000).

    Google Scholar 

  2. R. Barsbold, “Predatory Dinosaurs from the Cretaceous of Mongolia,” Tr. Sovm. Sov.-Mong. Paleontol. Eksped., No. 19, 1–120 (1983).

  3. C. A. Brochu, “A Digitally-Rendered Endocast for Tyrannosaurus rex,” J. Vertebr. Paleontol. 20(1), 1–6 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. C. A. Brochu, “Osteology of Tyrannosaurus rex: Insights from a Nearly Complete Skeleton and High-resolution Computed Tomographic Analysis of the Skull,” J. Vertebr. Paleontol. Soc. Vertebr. Paleontol. 22(Suppl. 4, Mem. 7), 1–138 (2003).

    Google Scholar 

  5. E. Buffetaut, V. Suteethorn, and H. Tong, “The Earliest Known Tyrannosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Thailand,” Nature 381, 689–691 (1996).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. K. Carpenter, “Tyrannosaurids (Dinosauria) of Asia and North America,” in Aspects of Non-marine Cretaceous Geology, Ed. by P. Chen and N. Mateer (China Ocean Press, Beijing, 1992), pp. 250–268.

    Google Scholar 

  7. K. Carpenter, “Tyrannosauridae,” in Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs, Ed. by P.J. Currie and K. Padian (Academia, San Diego-London-Boston, 1999), pp. 766–768.

    Google Scholar 

  8. M. T. Carrano, “What, If Anything, Is a Cursor? Categories versus Continua for Determinating Locomotor Habit in Mammals and Dinosaurs,” J. Zool. 247, 29–42 (1998).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. B. J. Chinnery, T. R. Lipka, J. I. Kirkland, et al., “Neoceratopsian Teeth from the Lower to Middle Cretaceous of North America,” Mus. Natur. Hist. Sci. Bull., No. 14 (Lower and Middle Cretaceous Terrestrial Ecosystems, Ed. by S. G. Lucas, J. I. Kirkland, and J. W. Estep), 297–302 (1998).

  10. P. J. Currie, “Theropods from Cretaceous of Mongolia,” in The Age of Dinosaurs in Russia and Mongolia, Ed. by M. J. Benton, M. A. Shishkin, D. M. Unwin, and E. N. Kurochkin (Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, 2000), pp. 434–455.

    Google Scholar 

  11. P. J. Currie, “Cranial Anatomy of Tyrannosaurid Dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Alberta, Canada,” Acta Palaeontol. Polon. 48(2), 191–226 (2003).

    Google Scholar 

  12. P. J. Currie, J. H. Hurum, and K. Sabath, “Skull Structure and Evolution in Tyrannosaurid Dinosaurs,” Acta Palaeontol. Polon. 48(2), 227–234 (2003).

    Google Scholar 

  13. T. Edinger, Die fossilen Gehirne (Berlin, 1929).

  14. J. O. Farlow, M. B. Smith, and J. M. Robinson, “Body Mass, Bone ’strength Indication’ and Cursorial Potential of Tyrannosaurus rex,” J. Vertebr. Paleontol. 15(4), 713–725 (1995).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. I. N. Filimonov, Comparative Anatomy of Reptile Cerebral Hemispheres (Akad. Nauk SSSR, Moscow, 1963) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  16. T. R. Holtz, Jr., “Phylogenetic Position of the Tyrannosauridae: Implication for Theropod Systematics,” J. Paleontol. 68(5), 1100–1117 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

  17. T. R. Holtz, Jr., “The Arctometatarsalian Pes, an Unusual Structure of Cretaceous Theropoda (Dinosauria, Saurischia),” J. Vertebr. Paleontol. 14(3), 408–519 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  18. T. R. Holtz, Jr., “The Phylogeny and Taxonomy of the Tyrannosauridae,” in Mesozoic Vertebrate Life: New Research Inspired by the Paleontology of Philip J. Currie, Ed. by D. H. Tanke and K. Carpenter (Indiana Univ. Press, Bloomington, 2001), pp. 64–75.

    Google Scholar 

  19. T. R. Holtz, “Tyrannosauroidea,” in The Dinosauria, 2nd ed., Ed. by D. B. Weishampel, P. Dodson, and H. Osmólska (Univ. California Press, Berkeley-London-Los Angeles, 2004), pp. 111–136.

    Google Scholar 

  20. J. R. Horner and D. Lessem, The Complete T. rex: How Stunning New Discoveries Are Changing Our Understanding of the World’s Most Famous Dinosaur (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1993).

    Google Scholar 

  21. J. H. Hurum and K. Sabath, “Giant Theropod Dinosaurs from Asia and North America: Skulls of Tarbosaurus bataar and Tyrannosaurus rex Compared,” Acta Palaeontol. Polon. 48(2), 161–190 (2003).

    Google Scholar 

  22. J. R. Hutchinson and M. Garcia, “Tyrannosaur Was not a Fast Runner,” Nature 415, 1018–1021 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. S. Hutt, D. Naish, D. M. Martil, et al., “A Preliminary Account of a New Tyrannosauroid Theropod from the Wessex Formation (Early Cretaceous) of Southern England,” Cretaceous Res. 22, 227–242 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. N. N. Kalandadze and A. S. Rautian, “The System of Mammals and Historical Zoogeography,” in Mammal Phylogenetics, Ed. by O. L. Rossolimo (Mosk. Gos. Univ., Moscow, 1992), pp. 44–152 [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  25. H. C. E. Larsson, P. C. Sereno, and J. A. Wilson, “Forebrain Enlargement among Nonavian Theropod Dinosaurs,” J. Vertebr. Paleontol. 20(3), 615–618 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. P. J. Makovicky and H. D. Sues, “Anatomy and Phylogenetic Relationships of the Theropod Dinosaur Microvenator celer from the Lower Cretaceous of Montana,” Am. Mus. Novit., No. 3240, 1–27 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  27. E. A. Maleev, “On the Brain of Predatory Dinosaurs,” Paleontol. Zh., No. 2, 141–143 (1965).

  28. E. A. Maleev, “Giant Carnosaurs of the family Tyrannosauridae,” Tr. Sovm. Sov.-Mongol. Paleontol. Eksped., No. 1 (Fauna and Biostratigraphy of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic of Mongolia), 132–191 (1974).

  29. M. Manabe, “The Early Evolution of the Tyrannosauridae in Asia,” J. Paleontol. 73(76), 1176–1178 (1999).

    Google Scholar 

  30. R. E. Molnar and J. O. Farlow, “Carnosaur Paleobiology,” in The Dinosauria, Ed. by D. B. Weishampel, P. Dodson, and H. Osmólska (Univ. California Press, Berkeley-Los Angeles-Oxford, 1990), pp. 210–224.

    Google Scholar 

  31. R. E. Molnar, S. M. Kurzanov, and Zh. Dong, “Carnosauria,” in The Dinosauria, Ed. by D. B. Weishampel, P. Dodson, and H. Osmólska (Univ. California Press, Berkeley-Los Angeles-Oxford, 1990), pp. 169–209.

    Google Scholar 

  32. R. Nieuwenhuys, H. J. ten Donkelaar, and C. Nicholson, “The Central Nervous System of Vertebrates,” in Reptilies (Springer, Berlin-Heidelberg, 1997), Vol. 2, pp. 1315–1524.

    Google Scholar 

  33. G. Olshevsky, An Annotated Checklist of Dinosaur Species by Continent (Olshevsky Publ. Req. Res., San Diego, 2000).

    Google Scholar 

  34. H. F. Osborn, “Crania of Tyrannosaurus and Allosaurus,” Mem. Am. Mus. Natur. Hist. 1, 20–21 (1912).

    Google Scholar 

  35. G. Paul, Predatory Dinosaurs of the World (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1988).

    Google Scholar 

  36. O. Rauhut, “A Tyrannosauroid Dinosaur from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal,” Palaeontology 46(5), 903–910 (2003).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. A. S. Romer, Osteology of the Reptilia (Univ. Press, Chicago, 1956).

    Google Scholar 

  38. S. V. Saveliev, Comparative Anatomy of the Nervous System of Vertebrates (Geotar-Med, Moscow, 2001) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  39. P. C. Sereno, “The Origin and Evolution of Dinosaurs,” Ann. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 25, 435–489 (1997).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. A. D. Walker, “Triassic Reptiles from the Elgin Area: Ornithosuchus and the Origin of Carnosaurs,” Phil. Trans. R. Soc. London, Ser. B 248(744), 53–134 (1964).

    Google Scholar 

  41. X. Xu, J. M. Clark, C. A. Forster, et al., “A Basal Tyrannosauroid Dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of China,” Nature 439, 715–718 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. X. Xu, M. A. Norell, X. Kuang, et al., “Basal Tyrannosauroids from China and Evidence for Protofeathers in Tyrannosauroids,” Nature 431, 680–684 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Scientific Research Institute of Human Morphology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, ul. Tsyurupy 3, Moscow, 117418, Russia

    S. V. Saveliev

  2. Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsoyuznaya ul. 123, Moscow, 117997, Russia

    V. R. Alifanov

Authors
  1. S. V. Saveliev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. V. R. Alifanov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Original Russian Text © S.V. Saveliev, V.R. Alifanov, 2007, published in Paleontologicheskii Zhurnal, 2007, No. 3, pp. 47–55.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Saveliev, S.V., Alifanov, V.R. A new study of the brain of the predatory dinosaur Tarbosaurus bataar (Theropoda, Tyrannosauridae). Paleontol. J. 41, 281–289 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0031030107030070

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0031030107030070

Keywords

Search

Navigation