Abstract
Birds- the only living dinosaurs- are incredibly diverse with over 10,000 species. Yet extinct dinosaurs were even more diverse. What are the constraints that limit anatomical evolution in birds? While we can’t turn back time and run the experiment of avian evolution over again, we can use artificial intelligence to investigate the underlying factors that influence the evolution of novelty. Using 3D shape analysis and deep learning approaches, we will explore the patterns of correlation between the brain and skull across Dinosauria. By using AI to generate a landscape of novel morphologies, we will uncover hidden patterns of evolutionary constraint.
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