Big dinosaurs have tiny genes

When studying the genome size of 31 extinct dinosaurs and birds, the researchers found that predators like T-rex have relatively small genomes.

However, the small genome does not imply that they are inferior animals. For example, a lungfish (group of fish with both lungs and gills) has a larger set of genes than humans.

(Photo: abc.net.au) Researchers at Harvard University and the University of Reading in the UK study cells from fossil bones to extrapolate their genome size. They described the basic differences between large dinosaur lines. The bipedal dinosaur known as theropods (such as tyrant dinosaurs, dinosaurs Allosaurus and Deinonychus) has a very small set of genes, similar to modern birds.

The same is true of the extinct bird species studied, including the Hesperornis seabird that lived in the same time as the dinosaurs, and the larger one, who ate meat and did not know how to fly Diatryma, survived the destruction of the dinosaur.

"It is clear that all theropod groups, including birds, have long maintained the limited size of the genome," said lead researcher Chris Organ.

However, herbivorous dinosaurs have moderate genomes, the same class as lizards and crocodiles today.

The team did not explore the genome of the giant long-necked dinosaurs, also known as sauropods.

T. An