Scientists analyzing 200-million-year-old fossilized feces and vomit have uncovered new insights into how dinosaurs became Earth’s dominant species. The study, published in Nature, highlights the role of adaptability and diet in their evolutionary success.
More than 500 samples of bromalites, or fossilized digestive remnants, were excavated from Poland’s ancient Polish Basin. Experts said the fossils span from the late Triassic to the early Jurassic periods.
Researchers used advanced scanning techniques and chemical analysis to examine their contents, which included fish, insects, plants and charcoal.
The findings suggest dinosaurs were better equipped to adapt to environmental changes than their rivals. While other species struggled with restricted diets, dinosaurs evolved with diverse feeding habits, enabling them to thrive as volcanic activity and climate shifts reshaped ecosystems.
The study also sheds light on the evolutionary timeline of dinosaurs, tracing their rise from small omnivores to herbivorous and carnivorous giants. For instance, sauropodomorpha dinosaurs not only consumed a wide variety of plants, but may have used charcoal to detoxify toxic ferns. In contrast, creatures like dicynodonts, early mammal relatives, failed to adapt and disappeared.
Using cutting-edge tools like synchrotron microtomography, scientists reconstructed ancient food webs and observed a gradual increase in the size and diversity of dinosaur species. The analysis shows a complex interplay of factors, like agility, upright posture and dietary adaptability, contributed to their success.
The researchers concluded adaptability to shifting ecosystems was key to dinosaurs’ dominance, alongside chance events like climate shifts. The team hopes to apply their techniques globally to deepen understanding of dinosaur evolution.
