Most of us think that dinosaurs must have been quite dumb if they are extinct. However, this is not really true. Although dinosaurs were, in reality, dumb, there some very smart. It is believed by paleontologists that there were some dinosaurs that had mammalian-level intelligence.
Here is a list of the 5 smartest dinosaurs to roam the world. This list is compiled based on the research conducted by paleontologists after carefully analyzing the different dinosaurs’ behavioral patterns and anatomy.
The 5 Smartest Dinosaurs of All Times:
o Troodon: This dinosaur was big as man and lived in the Cretaceous period. It had big eyes, stereo vision and was extremely fast enabling it to catch its preys. Compared to other dinosaurs, this carnivore had a big brain, where big is a relative term, but its opossum-sized brain made it more intelligent than other dinosaurs.
o Deinonychus: Many people believe that the Deinonychus was very intelligent after they finished watching Jurassic Park. They believed that it was intelligent enough to turn a doorknob as shown in the movie! However, the Deinonychus was intelligent but not that much. Researchers have found evidence that Deinonychus hunted in packs and this means that they required a certain level of communication and strategic thinking. Hence, paleontologists have concluded that they must have a bigger brain compared to most dinosaurs and may have been intelligent enough to get on the 5 smartest dinosaurs list.
o Compsognathus: Dinosaur intelligence and smartness is not judged by how big a brain a dinosaur had compared to other dinosaurs but how big the brain was compared to the dinosaur’s body. In this regard, the Compsognathus wins hands down. This dinosaur flourished in the Mesozoic Era and was chicken-sized. Compared to its body, its brain was large and paleontologists believed that it was as smart as dumb mouse, which for those prehistoric times was very smart!
o Tyrannosaurus Rex: A T-Rex did not need that much intelligence as it was one of the major predators of the Cretaceous period. In addition, it was blessed with large teeth, powerful legs and a strong sense of smell. However, paleontologists have concluded, after analyzing the various fossilized skulls, that the Tyrannosaurus Rex was indeed intelligent and smart just by the virtue of its large brain.
o Oviraptor: The oviraptor, which was not a raptor, has made it to the list of the 5 smartest dinosaurs because it was intelligent enough to sit on its eggs until they hatched. It is considered to be one of the most intelligent dinosaurs of the late Cretaceous period.