Revealing the diets of dinosaurs through the complexity and shape of teeth

The DECRA project set out to define the dietary range of Mesozoic dinosaurs globally and in Australia by developing a novel quantitative framework based on morphological functional metrics, applied to an unprecedented 3D digital dataset of dinosaur teeth and diet-relevant bones compiled from major collections globally. The project addressed a gap in palaeontology: the inability to move beyond qualitative dietary categories and, more importantly, the systematic exclusion of Australian dinosaur fossils from global-level analyses due to their fragmentary nature. Over its duration, the project generated numerous scholarly outputs across palaeontology, evolutionary biology, ecology, and geosciences. Key discoveries include evidence of dietary niche partitioning among Australian sauropods, the identification of angiosperm radiation rather than gigantism as a primary driver of sauropod dental evolution, and the role of developmental processes in the origin of herbivory. The project also yielded unexpected outcomes, including the discovery of a mid-Cretaceous shark assemblage challenging views on the Eromanga Seaway and catalysed a new Triassic vertebrate research initiative centred on Tasmania. Beyond its core objectives, the project established lasting infrastructure, including a permanent palaeobiology research group and 3D digital lab at UNE, significant data contributions to open-access digital collections, and new national and international collaborations.

Funder: Australian Research Council
Award Value: $370,000