What if Dinosaurs were intelligent? 65 million years ago, the impact of a large asteroid ended the era of the dinosaurs. For about 170 million years, dinosaurs had dominated life on earth. Today we only find fossilized bones of these animals and try to reconstruct the appearance and life of the big saurians from these remains. The unanimous opinion of scientists today is: the dinosaurs were usually incredibly stupid herbivores or, as predators, at most clever enough to hunt their prey. What if there had been intelligent representatives of the dinosaurs? Would we be able to find out and what would the evidence look like? If a similar disaster hits the earth next week, what would distant inhabitants of the earth be able to find from us in millions of years? Intelligence and body weight The generally accepted opinion today is that since the dinosaurs had a small brain for their large body mass, there is no basis for intelligence. The scientists' assumption that the ratio of brain mass to body mass is decisive for the intelligence is fictitious. According to this, a person weighing 50 kg would be four times more intelligent than a person weighing 200 kg. The only decisive factor, however, is the structure and the function of the brain. What is left of a culture? Let us examine the various stages of development of an intelligent species according to what legacy is left of its activities. The massive impact caused great damage to the earth's surface and the continental drift would have made many of the evidence of a technical civilization disappear in the deep layers of the earth inaccessible. Since science today suspects the origin of the preforms of the intelligent human race a little over two million years ago and our direct ancestors are said to have developed about 200,000 years ago, we should assume a similar development for the dinosaurs. State of development: present Had dinosaurs reached a level of development similar to ours today, that is, had lived in an industrial society, operated nuclear power plants and flown into space, what would remain after 65 million years? Radioactive waste would have subsided after this time and would no longer be detectable. What to look for: - Metal objects would have corroded completely, but would have left   discoloration in the soil - In addition to footprints, vehicle tracks could also be preserved - Unidentified objects in high earth orbit or in orbits around the sun - Unidentified machines or vehicle tracks on the moon or Mars State of development: ancient culture  If the dinosaurs had reached the level of human antiquity, as in ancient Egypt, in Greece, in ancient China or in Central America, what would be left of them? Many of the early cultural goods, such as buildings, tools or works of art from antiquity, were made of perishable materials. Loam buildings, wooden tools or ceramics could not survive millions of years. What to look for: - Imprints and discoloration of tools or everyday objects - Remains of stone buildings. Processed stones can last for a very   long time - Discoloration of fireplaces - Jewelry, burial objects Stage of development: early history In the early days of human culture, up to and including the Bronze Age, even more man-made objects were made of perishable material. Wood was the main material used. Since some organic materials, such as leaves, have withstood time as fossils, the handle of an ax or a wooden spoon could also turn to stone and be preserved. What to look for: - Imprints and discoloration of tools or everyday objects - Discoloration of fireplaces - Solidified floors of tents or huts - Jewelry, burial objects - Piles of rubbish, clusters of clams or bones State of development: Stone Age  Around two and a half million years ago, early humans first used stones as striking tools. These first tools were unworked river stones, which can only be identified as objects of daily use through wear and tear. Younger tools, such as knives or spearheads made of flint, can be recognized by their processing. What to look for: - Machined stones with sharp edges - Shiver from processing flint stones - Bones of prey with cutting marks - Discoloration of fireplaces - Jewelry and burial objects - Piles of rubbish, clusters of clams or bones Are paleontologists looking for clues to intelligence? The question arises, however, whether fossilized fragments of wooden tools or cuts on bones by knives would be recognized as such. It is to be feared that such evidence will be overlooked, as the possibility of finding a sign of intelligent action is completely excluded. An intelligent culture without tools? According to the arguments mentioned above, attention during excavations should be directed to the remains of works of art or artificially produced objects. But is a culture conceivable in which intelligent beings do not make tools? On earth several species are assumed to be intelligent, for example the dolphin or the octopus. Both do not make tools or art objects. This is due to their habitat and their physical structure. Under water and like the dolphin, without arms, this is not possible. Theoretically, a species on land would also be conceivable that dispenses with tools because they may not be necessary for its survival. Then a proof of intelligence would not be possible for us today. Intelligent life in the Universe Whether or not the dinosaurs developed intelligence is extremely important in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. If 170 million years on a life-friendly planet and with the development of numerous animal species is not enough to produce an intelligent species, the chances of such a find in the universe decrease enormously. What will be left of human culture?  It depends on how long humans do exist. If we will be extinguished next week, the above assumptions apply to us. If humans will exist for thousands or a million years from now, we have certainly changed our solar system and perhaps neighboring planetary systems in such a way that the existence of a human culture cannot be overlooked. Certainly there will be fossils of us and our products in deep layers of the earth that future palaeontologists - whether human or not - can find and interpret. Hopefully we will then be considered intelligent. Private opinion of Uwe W. Jack

I hope this will never happen! Dinosaurs are realy impressive, even if they are plastic dummies like this guy. (click to enlarge)

Raptors hunt in packs and could kill prey that were much larger and stronger than them - communication and acting strategically is the requirement. A sign of beginning intelligence? (click to enlarge)

Did a brave Dinosaur-Astronaut board a spaceship 65 million years ago? (click to enlarge - the file may not be modified - commercial use is prohibited.)

This small flint stone knife was found at the baltic coast - it could survive millions of years. (click to enlarge)

In a Berlin shopping center, the floor is made of limestone with petrified ammonides - nobody pays any attention to these fossils. Perhaps in some million years the then living inhabitants of earth will thoughtlessly walk over the remains of humans. (click to enlarge - the file may not be modified - commercial use is prohibited.)