How does artificial intelligence help identify dinosaur footprints?

Artificial intelligence analyzes eight distinct features of fossilized footprints to objectively determine which dinosaur species likely made them, reducing subjective human interpretation.

What key traits does the AI analyze in dinosaur footprints?

The AI analyzes eight features including overall load and shape, toe spread, heel position, and discrepancies between left and right sides of the track.

What was the AI's finding about ancient South African footprints?

The AI confirmed that seven small, three-toed footprints from South Africa, about 210 million years old, closely resemble those of birds.

Home / Science / AI Cracks Dinosaur Footprint Mystery

AI Cracks Dinosaur Footprint Mystery

6 Feb

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Summary

AI analyzes eight footprint traits to identify dinosaur species.
New method reduces reliance on subjective human interpretation.
Algorithm confirmed ancient South African tracks resemble bird prints.

Identifying the specific dinosaur responsible for fossilized footprints has long been a challenge for paleontologists. Now, artificial intelligence is being harnessed to provide an objective method for this task. Researchers developed an AI algorithm that analyzes eight distinct features of footprints to pinpoint the likely dinosaur trackmaker.

This innovative approach aims to reduce the reliance on subjective human interpretation, a common issue in paleontology for generations. The AI was trained on 1,974 footprint silhouettes spanning 150 million years of dinosaur history. Key features analyzed include overall load, toe spread, heel position, and shape discrepancies.

The AI's analysis has yielded intriguing results, including validation of prior findings regarding seven small, three-toed footprints from South Africa, approximately 210 million years old. These tracks closely resemble those of birds, even though they predate the earliest known avian fossils by 60 million years. This suggests a potential link to early bird ancestors or dinosaurs with bird-like feet.