Math and Fossils Resolve a Debate on Dinosaur Metabolism
2006
Dinosaur Body Temperatures and Metabolism
Sample size: 8
publication
Evidence: high
Author Information
Author(s): James Gillooly, Andrew Allen, Eric Charnov
Hypothesis
Did dinosaur body temperature increase with body size?
Conclusion
The study suggests that larger dinosaurs had relatively constant body temperatures maintained through thermal inertia, similar to modern birds and mammals.
Supporting Evidence
- The model predicts that dinosaur body temperature increased with body mass.
- Larger dinosaurs had body temperatures similar to those of modern birds and mammals.
- The model shows that body temperature increases with body size for seven dinosaur species.
- Predicted body temperature for the largest dinosaur was about 118 °F.
Takeaway
The bigger dinosaurs were warmer, like birds, while the smaller ones were cooler, like reptiles.
Methodology
The researchers used a model based on growth trajectories inferred from juvenile and adult fossil bones to estimate dinosaur body temperatures.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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