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T. Rex Had a Human-Like Body Temperature, Study Finds

Published in Science Advances, the research used rare carbon-oxygen bonds preserved in tooth enamel to determine the temperature at which the dinosaur formed its teeth.

,   and  TIPP Staff
2 min read
T. rex was warm-blooded and had body temperature close to ours, study finds. Pic via(@SCMPNews)

A new study has provided evidence that Tyrannosaurus rex was warm-blooded, with an estimated internal body temperature of about 97 degrees Fahrenheit, close to that of humans.

Published in Science Advances, the research used rare carbon-oxygen bonds preserved in tooth enamel to determine the temperature at which the dinosaur formed its teeth.

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Researchers at UCLA analyzed enamel from Thomas, a 34-foot Tyrannosaurus, using a technique refined to work with only milligrams of material. The findings place T. rex between modern cold-blooded reptiles and its avian descendants, whose body temperatures can reach 104 to 109 degrees Fahrenheit.

The evidence helps explain how the massive predator maintained an active lifestyle and survived across a wide range of North American environments, including colder regions such as Alaska.

Geobiologist Robert Eagle, who led the 15-year research project, said the same technique could eventually be used to study the metabolism of other dinosaurs and ancient mammals. The findings add detailed evidence to the long-running debate over dinosaur physiology.

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