|
|
|
|
HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
 Posted - 07/10/2006 : 20:36:59
|
A paper on PLoS Biology by James F. Gillooly, Andrew P. Allen and Eric L. Charnov sums up their research on dinosaur temperature regulation.
There are presently two hostile camps on the issue of dino temps: Those who believe the huge critters regulated their temperatures in the manner of modern birds and mammals, and those who believe that the great size of the animals created a "thermal inertia" which left them with little need of metabolic heating. This paper, "Dinosaur Fossils Predict Body Temperatures," based mainly upon scaling studies with crocodiles, essentially says both camps are correct.
The paper begins: quote:
Perhaps the greatest mystery surrounding dinosaurs concerns whether they were endotherms, ectotherms, or some unique intermediate form. Here we present a model that yields estimates of dinosaur body temperature based on ontogenetic growth trajectories obtained from fossil bones. The model predicts that dinosaur body temperatures increased with body mass from approximately 25 °C at 12 kg to approximately 41 °C at 13,000 kg. The model also successfully predicts observed increases in body temperature with body mass for extant crocodiles. These results provide direct evidence that dinosaurs were reptiles that exhibited inertial homeothermy.
. . .
The paper continues here.
|
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
|
|
marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2006 : 22:02:34 [Permalink]
|
| Wow, that is so neat. It seems everything new discovered about dinosaurs paints them as more and more unique. Sadly, most of the math in the article escapes my understanding, but the concepts were clear enough. Thanks for posting. |
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
|
 |
|
|
furshur
SFN Regular
USA
1536 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2006 : 07:05:57 [Permalink]
|
Great article HalfMooner - Thanks!
|
If I knew then what I know now then I would know more now than I know. |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Topic Locked
