RE: smartest therapods?

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@geol.umd.edu>]

> From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
> Rodlox R
>
>
>   Which of the therapods were the smartest  (brainiest in the brain/body
> ratio)  during the Cretaceous?  the Jurassic?
>
>   Some folks I've read   say the Troodonts win that award, while others give
> it to the Tyrannosaur family.
>
> thoughts?

Wished I could say "tyrannosaurid", but while they were mental giants compared 
to carnosaurs, they were lacking in the ol'
neurological department compared to maniraptoriforms (ornithomimosaurs, 
therizinosaurs, alvarezsaurids, oviraptorosaurs,
troodontids, dromaeosaurids, and birds). Of these  latter, the first three have 
relatively small heads to body size (less so in
alvarezsaurids than first thought), so their EQ (encephalization quotients) 
would not be particular big. Troodon comes out pretty
well, but to be fair no oviraptorosaurs or dromaeosaurids were included in 
those classic studies, and they might be comparable to
the troodontids.

                Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                Vertebrate Paleontologist
Department of Geology           Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland          College Park Scholars
        Mailing Address:
                Building 237, Room 1117
                College Park, MD  20742

http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
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