Tooth study shows T. Rex was warmblooded, with human-like temperature
A new study analyzing chemical signatures in Tyrannosaurus rex teeth suggests the dinosaur was warm-blooded with a body temperature similar to humans. This finding challenges the traditional view of dinosaurs as sluggish, cold-blooded reptiles.
Why it matters
Provides significant new evidence in paleontology that fundamentally shifts our understanding of dinosaur physiology and evolutionary biology.
Using chemical clues in Tyrannosaurus rex teeth, scientists have shown that this massive predator was warm-blooded - with a body temperature close to that of a person - in a finding they said should prompt a fundamental change in the perception of the celebrity dinosaur.
The chemical makeup of the enamel in three T. rex teeth unearthed in Montana indicated that the dinosaur had a body temperature of 97.3 degrees Fahrenheit (36.3 degrees Celsius), plus or minus 4.5 F (2.5 C), the researchers found. For humans, the average body temperature is 98.6 F (37 C).
More apt comparisons may be the average body temperature of the elephant, the most massive extant land animal, of around 97 F (36 C), and the ostrich, the largest extant bird, at roughly 102 F (39 C). Tyrannosaurus was among the most massive meat-eating dinosaurs.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in