Geniuses of their time: scientists dispel the myth of low IQ of dinosaurs

Scientists have discovered that dinosaurs were able to visually perceive perspective, which is the recognition that they perceive the world differently depending on their point of view. This refutes the popular belief that they had a low IQ.

IFLScience writes about it.

Scientists from Lund University started studying the mental abilities of animals that have long been extinct and received some information about the level of development of dinosaurs.

In the period from 18 months to 2 years, a person understands that he or she can have visual access to things that he or she cannot see. This is called "visual perspective taking".

At the age of three, a child begins to understand that someone is watching something that is beyond our direct line of sight.

Some species of primates also have the ability to visually perceive perspective. Dogs and wolves also have this ability.

Scientists were surprised by the fact that some species of birds, which scientists thought were not very intelligent, showed brilliant results in the visual perspective test.

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Visual perspective perception is inherent in paleognaths. Paleognaths are the remnants of the dinosaur era, they lived about 110 million years ago.

Meanwhile, mammals acquired the ability to visually perceive perspective much later. The common ancestor of primates and dogs lived about 60 million years ago.

"At the beginning of my career, crows were often referred to as 'feathered monkeys' because of the many research findings that demonstrated their outstanding cognitive abilities. However, I am beginning to question whether primates should be considered birds of honour," said Professor Osvath of Lund University.

As a reminder, scientists have answered which asteroids can destroy the Earth and when it can happen.

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