Editorial: Technological Frontiers in Dinosaur Science Mark a New Age of Opportunity for Early Career Researchers

The application of innovative techniques has recently led to a rapid advancement of our understanding of the biology of extinct animals. Due to their iconic status, appearance, and enigmatic physiology, dinosaurs are placed at the center of technology-driven progress: the increasing rate of fossil shape digitization (CT or laser scanning, photogrammetry), the application of dynamic modelling programs, design and engineering software, as well as the integration of chemo- and bioanalytical instrumentation (e.g. X-ray and light spectroscopy, mass spectrometry) have since rendered dinosaur paleobiology a globally connected, interdisciplinary branch of science. Research into dinosaur locomotion, internal organ anatomy, preserved soft tissues, colors or molecular physiology is currently experiencing unprecedented growth. Here we provide a first collection of contributions showcasing not only how the implementation of novel technologies is impacting taxonomic and physiological assessments, but also how these developments contribute to the accessibility of data and specimens in the 21st century. With the rapid methodological diversification associated with the technological revolution of dinosaur paleontology, it has become increasingly difficult to keep track of the latest applications, their potential and limitations. Here, we offer a compact collection of innovative research utilizing different technologies to reveal unprecedented evolutionary insights. We hope that our proposed compendium will be of interest not only to the dinosaur paleobiology community, but, due to its methodological focus, to historical biosciences as a whole. With this Research Topic, we aim to foster cross-methodological collaborations and the globalized exchange of data and expertise in the context of pushing the current limitations of the fossil record to advance our understanding of dinosaur paleobiology. We ultimately hope that our proposal will equally attract specialist readers and students who seek a comprehensive introduction to the numerous opportunities in dinosaur paleontology of the 21st century. Beyond these scientific goals, this collection pro-actively encourages the submission of scientific contributions led by early career scientists, women and people from the LGTBI+ community. Giving visibility to these fundamentally underrepresented groups in the Earth sciences will provide a support network and pipeline for the dissemination of their projects and will aid our global mission of promoting Open Science. This Research Topic aims to present an open access collection covering the latest cutting-edge research in dinosaur biology, focused on projects showcasing the potential, but also current limitations of innovative technologies applied to evolutionary questions. The different technologies that we plan to highlight include: • Imaging and reconstruction of fossil anatomy (density contrast (e.g. CT, synchrotron, CT), surface digitization (e.g. laser and structured light 3D scanning, photogrammetry), chemical contrast & mapping (e.g. XRF, LSF, UV, neutron imaging, EMPA, ToF SIMS, Raman, IR, XANES, etc.)); • Elemental and molecular compositional analyses (X-ray and light spectroscopy, mass spectrometry); • 3D modelling; • Biomechanical analyses; • Finite element analyses; • 3D histology; • 2D and 3D morphometric geometrics; etc. Topics applying these different approaches should cover the spectrum of paleobiological research, including anatomical description and reconstruction, ichnology, pathology, molecular palaeobiology, palaeoneurology, and palaeogeography.