恐龙T. rex Body Temp Measured at 36°C, Like Elephants
T. rex Had Body Temp Like Modern Elephants
TL;DR
Paleontologists used clumped isotope thermometry to measure T. rex's body temperature at around 36°C, similar to modern elephants. This technique analyzed tooth enamel, revealing new insights into dinosaur physiology.
Paleontologists have measured T. rex's body temperature at around 36°C using clumped isotope thermometry, a technique that analyzes tooth enamel. This finding suggests T. rex had a body temperature similar to modern elephants, indicating it was likely a mesotherm. The team analyzed three T. rex teeth and five crocodilian teeth, revealing T. rex's temperature was 36.3°C, give or take 2.5°C. This discovery sheds light on dinosaur physiology and their ability to survive in various climates. The team also used a high-resolution climate model to simulate temperatures in the late Cretaceous era, showing T. rex could live almost anywhere on the continent.
Key Points
Paleontologists used clumped isotope thermometry to measure T. rex's body temperature at 36.3°C, give or take 2.5°C.
The team analyzed three T. rex teeth and five crocodilian teeth to compare body temperatures.
T. rex's body temperature was similar to modern elephants, indicating mesothermic physiology.
High-resolution climate models showed T. rex could live almost anywhere on the continent.
The team calculated a heat and humidity threshold, showing T. rex never faced lethal conditions in the Cretaceous era.
Why It Matters
Paleontologists used clumped isotope thermometry to measure T. rex's body temperature at 36.3°C, revealing it was likely a mesotherm. This finding provides new insights into dinosaur physiology and their ability to survive in various climates, challenging previous theories about dinosaur thermal strategies.
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