What Did Dinosaurs Think About?

About this book

What do we truly know about the intelligence of dinosaurs? In What Did Dinosaurs Think About?, paleontologist Jean Le Loeuff takes us beyond these captivating animals' cinematic portrayals in Jurassic Park to illustrate how these creatures truly lived, hunted, socialized, and survived.

Based on the latest palaeontological discoveries, Le Loeuff examines dinosaur intelligence, social behaviours, and sensory experiences, offering a fresh view of their world. Could T. rex truly smell its prey from miles away? How did Triceratops and velociraptors interact with each other and their environments? And could some dinosaurs communicate with sounds – or even colours? With advancements like CT scans and 3D imaging, scientists are uncovering new insights into dinosaur brains, senses, and vocalizations.

Le Loeuff explores topics like the intricate structure of the dinosaur brain, the colours and patterns of their skin, and what their fossilized footprints reveal about their social lives. Readers will also learn how today's birds and reptiles provide clues to the habits and behaviors of their ancient relatives. From the scaly giants that roamed prehistoric landscapes to the swift predators that stalked their prey under moonlight, this fascinating book offers a captivating glimpse into the lives of these extraordinary animals.

Originally published in French in 2023 as Dans la Peau d'un Dinosaure by Humensciences.

Contents

Series Editor's Foreword

Introduction: The Life of Dinosaurs, from Cinema to Science
1. Dinosauria: Preliminary Concepts
      1.1. Dinosaurs' Placement on the Vertebrate Family Tree
2. Dinosaur Meninges
      2.1. Iguanodon at the Beach
      2.2. And One, and Two, and Three Brains
      2.3. Measuring Intelligence
      2.4. Encephalization Quotient and Its Variants
      2.5. Walnut-Sized
3. In Search of Lost Senses
      3.1. The Scent of Hadrosaurs in the Air
      3.2. See T. rex and Die
      3.3. The Soprano and the Raptor
      3.4. The Song of the Dinosaurs
      3.5. Ampelosaurus Couldn't Say No
      3.6. Tyrannosaur Kisses
      3.7. Dinosaur Nociception
      3.8. Argentinosaurus's Siesta
4. Mesozoic Sociology
      4.1. Antisocial Dinosaurs
      4.2. Lifelong Groups
      4.3. The Cretaceous Wildebeest
      4.4. Youth Gangs
      4.5. Recognition Signals
      4.6. Hunting
      4.7. Absence of Proof and Proof of Absence
      4.8. Defense Strategies
      4.9. Parasaurolophus's Dietary Supplements
      4.10. Tongue-Tied
5. Banter Between Lovers
      5.1. Courtship Rituals
      5.2. The Age of Consent
      5.3. Mating
      5.4. The Interior of a Dinosaur's Cloaca
      5.5. After Love
      5.6. Heyuannia's Blue Eggs
      5.7. Good Mothers
      5.8. Life in the Egg
      5.9. Did T. rex Play? An Outlandish Hypothesis
      5.10. Painful Lessons
Final Thoughts

The Dinosaur Family Tree
      : The Very First Dinosaur
      : Theropods
      : Sauropodomorphs
      : Thyreophorans
      : Ornithopods
      : Marginocephalians
Acknowledgements
Notes

Customer Reviews

Biography

Jean Le Loeuff is the director of the Musee des Dinosaures d'Esperaza and the author of T.rex Superstar.

Translator and book editor Alison Duncan earned her Master of Science in translation from New York University and her Bachelor of Arts in French and Francophone studies from Vassar College. She is the translator of Marvelous Microfossils: Creators, Timekeepers, Architects.