Key to Success? Dinosaurs May Have Been Warm-Blooded

Live Science ^ | Nov 10, 2009 | Charles Q. Choi

[decimon]

Many dinosaurs may have been warm-blooded just like mammals or birds, potentially explaining their extraordinary success before their extinction.

For decades, scientists assumed that because dinosaurs resembled lizards, they were cold-blooded as well, their internal temperature rising and falling with the outside world. However, birds are warm-blooded, and the fact that birds seem to be descended from dinosaurs raises the question of whether their ancestors were as well.

If dinosaurs were warm-blooded, they would have possessed the potential for athletic abilities rivaling those of mammals and birds. They could have survived in colder habitats that would kill cold-blooded creatures, such as high mountain ranges and polar regions, enabling them to cover the entire landscape. Such advantages do carry a price - warm-blooded animals need much more food than their cold-blooded counterparts because their rapid metabolisms fatally malfunction if they cool down too much from lack of fuel.

[decimon]

Hemoglobal warming ping.

[cripplecreek]

Makes sense to me.

[BradyLS]

Actually, I had read about this theory years ago.

[BradyLS]

Actually, I had read about this theory years ago.

[cripplecreek]

Its definitely not a new theory.

[UCANSEE2]

“Such advantages do carry a price - warm-blooded animals need much more food than their cold-blooded counterparts because their rapid metabolisms fatally malfunction if they cool down too much from lack of fuel.”

It’s not like there wasn’t a plethora of fuel around. Hordes and Herds of it.

[BigEdLB]

This thoery is MORE THAN thirty years old...
http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Blooded-Dinosaurs-Adrian-Desmond/dp/0385270631
Book published in the MID-1970s

[Liberty1970]

I recall the warm vs. cold blooded controversy being explored in Mace Baker's book Dinoaurs, back in the early 90's. I don't recall the details, but what I came away with was:
1. The pro-warm side presented concrete, solid reasons why the dinosaurs could not have been cold-blooded.
2. The pro-cold side presented concrete, solid reasons why the dinosaurs could not have been warm-blooded.

Not stated was, to me, the obvious answer: the dinosaurs (or at least some) had a unique thermoregulatory system that does not match either of the 'standard' systems we are used to dichotomizing this subject into. (Dr. Wayne Frair, for example, published an article in Science in the early 70's describing unique aspects of a thermoregulatory system in a species of turtle, such that it could not be simple described as 'cold-blooded.')

[BenLurkin]

Just big chickens.

I bet they tasted like chicken.

[decimon]

Oh sure, you’re one of them moderates. ;-)

[flowerplough]

1. The pro-warm side presented concrete, solid reasons why the dinosaurs could not have been cold-blooded.
2. The pro-cold side presented concrete, solid reasons why the dinosaurs could not have been warm-blooded.

If warm-blooded, such huge land animals would have likely overheated, or at least been unable to maintain the entire body at roughly the same temperature, but if cold-blooded, they would have been too lethargic and dependent on environmental conditions, that's the way I've heard it explained.

[SunkenCiv]

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[bigheadfred]

i don’t know why but i read this headline and the thought of someone following helen thomas around with a rectal thermometer pops into my head and it is bedtime and i hope i don’t have any nightmares because just being awake some days is really all i can take...

[null and void]

Thanks a bunch. Now none of us can sleep.

[wolfcreek]

“potentially explaining their extraordinary success before their extinction.”

Damn extinctions!

[decimon]

“potentially explaining their extraordinary success before their extinction.”

Damn extinctions!

Yeah, just when you think you have it made...

[bigheadfred]

You didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn last night, by chance? :-))

(Just trying to exorcise the demon, at least the afterimages...)

:-))

[bigheadfred]

I’m still here! How about you? :-))

[null and void]

Awake.

And filled with a terrible resolve.