Scholarship 24/08798-6 - Dinossauros, Inteligência artificial - BV FAPESP
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Walking through Cretaceous desert dunes: integration of 3D methodologies in paleobiological studies of dinosaur trackways from the Central-East region of São Paulo State (Botucatu Formation)

Grant number: 24/08798-6
Support Opportunities:Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
Start date until: December 01, 2024
End date until: November 30, 2027
Field of knowledge:Biological Sciences - Zoology - Paleozoology
Principal Investigator:Marcelo Adorna Fernandes
Grantee:Mauro Bruno da Silva Lacerda
Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Fossil tracks are important sources of information about past biodiversity, but they also provide insight into the behavior and locomotion of their producers, such as the likely high speed reached by small forms of theropods such as the bipedal Farlowichnus rapidus Leonardi et al. 2024. Understanding the locomotion of animals, both living and extinct, is important in several areas of biology and ecology, as it helps to elucidate the individual's relationship with their environment and their habits. From a morphological/morphofunctional point of view, the elucidation of locomotor aspects allows the assessment of which muscles are being used at which moments of the individuals' locomotor action, allowing a greater understanding of the function of each locomotor muscle in the movement and its evolution. Therefore, it is possible to make inferences about evolutionary biomechanics based on simulations and movement studies. In the case of extinct animals, it is necessary to infer such movements based on the fossil record in a theoretical way. Therefore, evidence from fossil footprints is the most direct evidence possible to elucidate questions of evolutionary biomechanics. 3D technologies come currently being used in the study of fossil vertebrates related to morphology, locomotion, in the creation of digital paleontological collections, scientific dissemination and science teaching. Aiming to contribute to this topic that has potential for study, with this project, we intend to create three-dimensional models of the fossil footprints of dinosaurs from the early Cretaceous Period , in order to analyze the topology of the materials and obtain information regarding morphology, locomotion and posture, being, therefore, a broad paleobiological study focused, above all, on the occurrences of dinosaurs from the Botucatu Formation. The three-dimensional models will be built mainly using photogrammetry techniques. Images will be captured using a camera, and alternatively, smaller tracks and/or isolated footprints will be digitally modeled using the high-precision portable laser surface scanner. Based on the 3D models, several studies will be carried out, including depth maps in false colors and high-quality trail contour drawings and methods to automatically generate the footprint contour, and thus avoid possible problems in defining the margins. that delimit the footprint. Using artificial intelligence, a morphological study will be carried out on the different morphotypes of dinosaur footprints from the Botucatu Formation, with the aim of discriminating the morphologies of tridactyl footprints that converge between ornithischian dinosaurs and theropods. In addition, quantitative methodologies such as linear and geometric morphometrics will be applied. With this work, we hope to increase current knowledge about the occurrences of theropods and ornithischians, as well as advance the study of evolutionary biomechanics in desert dune environments based on various scientific methodology resources. (AU)

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