Question

Dinosaurs did not have a neocortex - but many of them might have had something neocortex-like.

The neocortex does, in fact, appear to be a uniquely mammalian brain structure. However, birds are dinosaurs, and although birds do not have a neocortex they do have complex brain structures that appear to be fairly similar in function.

The neocortex and analogous bird brain structures do appear to have derived from the same base, which means that somewhere after the amniota split, at least some fraction of dinosaurs did in fact possess those neocortex-like structures that we still observe in birds today.

Since information about brains does not fossilize well, we still know very little about dinosaur brains. As such, it's not currently possible to know whether all dinosaurs had such brain structures, or if it only emerged in the group that we now know as birds.

Answer 1

Birds are descended from dinosaurs and may have neocortex-like brain structures. Limited information is available about dinosaur brains.

Step-by-step explanation:

Birds are descended from dinosaurs and share a common ancestor with them. While dinosaurs did not have a neocortex, which is a distinct brain structure found in mammals, birds have complex brain structures that are similar in function. This suggests that some dinosaurs may have possessed neocortex-like structures. However, because brain information does not fossilize well, we have limited knowledge about dinosaur brains.