Scientists have debated the warm-blooded nature of dinosaurs for a long time. Recently, researchers claim to have determined the body temperature of two T. rexes using chemical analysis. Aradhna Tripati, a geochemist and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, explained the challenging process of measuring the temperature of extinct animals to CBC’s Quirks & Quarks.
The researchers utilized a chemical technique that relies on variations in temperature-specific chemistry found in hard tissues like tooth enamel and eggshells. By studying the mineral bioapatite in these materials, which involves the bonding of carbon atoms with oxygen, scientists can estimate the body temperature of ancient creatures by analyzing the amount of “isotope clumping.”
In a previous study a decade ago, UCLA scientists determined the warm-blooded nature of titanosaurs and oviraptors using eggshells. They also examined teeth from plant-eating dinosaurs like brachiosaurs to understand their body temperatures.
To analyze the body temperature of a T. rex named Thomas, researchers had to overcome the challenge of thin tooth enamel. By refining their technique on megalodon teeth, they managed to obtain small samples from Thomas and another unidentified specimen for analysis. The results indicated that T. rex had a body temperature between 33.8°C and 38.8°C, similar to large mammals and possibly flightless birds like ostriches.
The findings suggest that a warm-blooded T. rex could have thrived in various environments, including the Arctic, unlike cold-blooded reptiles. Paleontologist Anthony Fiorillo, who discovered a small tyrannosaur in Alaska, commended the study for providing compelling evidence of warm-blooded predators like T. rex. The research prompts further exploration into how dinosaurs adapted to extreme conditions, such as life in the far north.
François Therrien, a dinosaur paleoecologist at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, collaborated on a study analyzing troodon eggshells using isotope clumping, revealing their warm-blooded nature comparable to birds with body temperatures exceeding 40°C. The precise measurement of T. rex’s body temperature challenges previous assumptions, suggesting the dinosaur’s ability to remain active throughout different times and regions. However, debates continue regarding whether T. rex had a metabolism akin to modern warm-blooded animals.