Scientists have developed an AI-powered app called DinoTracker, which can identify dinosaur footprints with remarkable accuracy using artificial intelligence.
The brainchild of experts from the University of Edinburgh and Helmholtz-Zentrum in Germany, the app uses machine learning to analyze the shape of a footprint and compare it to thousands of previously identified tracks. By analyzing features such as toe spread, ground contact, and heel position, the AI system can determine how similar or different imprints are from each other.
The researchers tested their system by feeding it 2,000 unlabelled footprint silhouettes, which resulted in a remarkable accuracy rate of around 90%. The app is free to download and allows users to upload the silhouette of a footprint, explore other footprints that are similar, and manipulate the footprint to see how varying its features affects the results.
The discovery has significant implications for paleontology, particularly with regards to the origins of birds. According to Dr. Steve Brusatte, one of the co-authors of the study, the findings suggest that birds may have a much older, more ancient ancestry than previously thought, potentially dating back tens of millions of years. However, he cautioned that the evidence does not necessarily prove the existence of birds in the distant past.
One expert, Dr. Jens Lallensack from Humboldt University of Berlin, noted that while the AI system's features were not directly based on the shape of the foot itself, they still may be influenced by factors such as the type of ground or sand the dinosaur was walking through. He also suggested that the bird-like tracks may have resulted from the way a theropod sank into soft ground rather than evidence of an early bird appearance.
The DinoTracker app is set to revolutionize paleontology, enabling researchers to gain new insights into the lives and habits of ancient dinosaurs.
The brainchild of experts from the University of Edinburgh and Helmholtz-Zentrum in Germany, the app uses machine learning to analyze the shape of a footprint and compare it to thousands of previously identified tracks. By analyzing features such as toe spread, ground contact, and heel position, the AI system can determine how similar or different imprints are from each other.
The researchers tested their system by feeding it 2,000 unlabelled footprint silhouettes, which resulted in a remarkable accuracy rate of around 90%. The app is free to download and allows users to upload the silhouette of a footprint, explore other footprints that are similar, and manipulate the footprint to see how varying its features affects the results.
The discovery has significant implications for paleontology, particularly with regards to the origins of birds. According to Dr. Steve Brusatte, one of the co-authors of the study, the findings suggest that birds may have a much older, more ancient ancestry than previously thought, potentially dating back tens of millions of years. However, he cautioned that the evidence does not necessarily prove the existence of birds in the distant past.
One expert, Dr. Jens Lallensack from Humboldt University of Berlin, noted that while the AI system's features were not directly based on the shape of the foot itself, they still may be influenced by factors such as the type of ground or sand the dinosaur was walking through. He also suggested that the bird-like tracks may have resulted from the way a theropod sank into soft ground rather than evidence of an early bird appearance.
The DinoTracker app is set to revolutionize paleontology, enabling researchers to gain new insights into the lives and habits of ancient dinosaurs.
Can't compete with nature 
. It's been said that "the best way to predict the future is to invent it," but sometimes you gotta just go back in time to understand what made us who we are today 
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! scientists from uni edinburgh & germany created it using AI & machine learning to identify dinosaur footprints lol cant believe how accurate it is like 90% accuracy? that's crazy!!! so basically u upload a footprint pic, and the app compares it to thousands of other tracks. its free to download too 
can't wait to try it out on my next paleontology project!
the tech is there, its just a matter of gettin it together 
imagine bein able to analyze actual tracks from prehistoric creatures 
i never thought we'd see the day where AI could help us figure out if birds actually came from dinosaurs 
90% accuracy? That's some next-level detective work from these scientists! 
. It's like, imagine being able to analyze those dinosaur footprints in a whole new way! The accuracy rate is pretty impressive too, 90% is no joke 
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. I mean, it's not like they were expecting us to find a way to track them down or anything... 90% accuracy? That's like me guessing my favorite snack without even trying 
. But seriously, this is cool and all, but I'm more excited about the implications for bird origins... or should I say "fowl" play on words 
. Seriously though, if birds are as old as they think they might be, that changes everything!
he says the app's features might b influenced by ground type & sand but still, it's pretty cool 2 think about how these dinosaurs lived & roamed around 
. Could it be that birds have been around since ancient times, but we just didn't know about it before? That would be a major discovery! But what if Dr. Lallensack is right and the tracks are not from actual birds, but rather how theropods sank into soft ground?
) and see if I can uncover some hidden dinosaur secrets 
The emergence of AI-powered tools like DinoTracker has opened up new avenues for paleontologists to explore the mysteries of the past, and it will be fascinating to see how these advancements shape our understanding of dinosaur evolution.
! It's like having a superpower 
. And just imagine being able to explore all those ancient tracks and get a glimpse into what life was like back then 
. The possibilities are endless 
. I think it's so cool that they're making this tech available for free, too 
. Now we can all be dinosaur detectives 
. i mean, 90% accuracy is crazy for an AI system, that's like trying to solve a puzzle blindfolded and getting the right answer most of the time 
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