Dinosaur Footprints Now Decoded by AI: Unveiling Secrets of Prehistoric Creatures
A groundbreaking app, DinoTracker, has been launched that utilizes artificial intelligence to identify dinosaurs based on the footprints they left behind millions of years ago. The innovative system, developed by a team of experts at the University of Edinburgh and Helmholtz-Zentrum in Germany, employs advanced machine learning techniques to analyze the unique characteristics of each footprint.
Unlike traditional methods that relied on pre-labeled dinosaur tracks, the DinoTracker app is trained on 2,000 unlabelled footprint silhouettes. The AI system assesses these features to determine how similar or dissimilar they are, identifying eight key characteristics such as toe spread, ground contact, and heel position.
These findings have shed new light on a long-standing mystery - the origins of bird-like footprints from Triassic and early Jurassic periods, which some scientists previously believed were made by birds. According to Dr. Steve Brusatte, co-author of the research, these tracks suggest that birds may have a much older ancestry than initially thought.
The DinoTracker app is now available for free download, allowing users to upload their own footprint silhouette and explore the seven other footprints most similar to it. By manipulating these characteristics, users can better understand how different features affect which prints are deemed most similar.
While the results are promising, Dr. Jens Lallensack from Humboldt University of Berlin cautions that the system's limitations lie in its reliance on indirect measures, such as footprint shape, rather than actual foot anatomy.
The discovery marks a significant breakthrough in the field of paleontology, providing new insights into the lives and habits of prehistoric creatures. The DinoTracker app is set to revolutionize the way we analyze and understand ancient tracks, ultimately shedding more light on the mysteries of our planet's ancient past.
A groundbreaking app, DinoTracker, has been launched that utilizes artificial intelligence to identify dinosaurs based on the footprints they left behind millions of years ago. The innovative system, developed by a team of experts at the University of Edinburgh and Helmholtz-Zentrum in Germany, employs advanced machine learning techniques to analyze the unique characteristics of each footprint.
Unlike traditional methods that relied on pre-labeled dinosaur tracks, the DinoTracker app is trained on 2,000 unlabelled footprint silhouettes. The AI system assesses these features to determine how similar or dissimilar they are, identifying eight key characteristics such as toe spread, ground contact, and heel position.
These findings have shed new light on a long-standing mystery - the origins of bird-like footprints from Triassic and early Jurassic periods, which some scientists previously believed were made by birds. According to Dr. Steve Brusatte, co-author of the research, these tracks suggest that birds may have a much older ancestry than initially thought.
The DinoTracker app is now available for free download, allowing users to upload their own footprint silhouette and explore the seven other footprints most similar to it. By manipulating these characteristics, users can better understand how different features affect which prints are deemed most similar.
While the results are promising, Dr. Jens Lallensack from Humboldt University of Berlin cautions that the system's limitations lie in its reliance on indirect measures, such as footprint shape, rather than actual foot anatomy.
The discovery marks a significant breakthrough in the field of paleontology, providing new insights into the lives and habits of prehistoric creatures. The DinoTracker app is set to revolutionize the way we analyze and understand ancient tracks, ultimately shedding more light on the mysteries of our planet's ancient past.