Dinosaurs ruled the Earth for 130+ million years. Why didn't they advance like humans in this time?

 They had brains, and some of them were pretty big.

Like Troodon, for example.

This little guy had a brain-to-body ratio similar to modern birds and mammals. It could probably run fast, hunt in packs, and maybe even use tools.

Not bad for a lizard.

But Troodon was an exception, not the rule.

Most dinosaurs had relatively small brains compared to their body size. And that's because they didn't need big brains to survive.

They had other adaptations that gave them an edge in their environment, like armour, horns, spikes, claws, teeth, speed, size, etc.

These traits helped them find food, avoid predators, and reproduce successfully.

Big brains are expensive to maintain. They require a lot of energy and oxygen to function properly.

And they come with trade-offs, like slower growth and longer maturation.

So, unless there's a strong selective pressure to favour intelligence, evolution tends to favor other solutions.

That's why dinosaurs didn't become super smart like us. They were already successful in their niches, and they didn't face any major challenges that required them to innovate or cooperate on a large scale.

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Humans, on the other hand, evolved in a very different context.

We were not the top predators or the largest herbivores. We were vulnerable to many threats and had to compete with other animals for resources.

We also had to cope with changing habitats and migrations across continents. These factors created a need for social learning, communication, problem-solving, and culture.

So, don't feel bad for the dinosaurs. They were awesome in their own way, and they dominated the planet for a long time.

But they didn't have what it takes to become the next Einstein or Mozart. And that's OK. Because we do.