The way the dinosaurs relinquished their long dominance is well known. An asteroid struck Earth 66 million years ago, triggering a horrific mass extinction. But the way the dinosaurs - modest creatures initially - came to supremacy is less well understood.

Feces, vomit and fossilized food from inside stomachs have provided new clues into how dinosaurs rose to dominate Earth, a new study revealed on Wednesday.

Scientists have charted how dinosaurs rose to prominence using a pretty unconventional method. They studied, in dirty detail, hundreds of samples of fossilized poop and vomit.