Study points to possible warm-blooded nature of dinosaurs

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Study Points To Possible Warm-Blooded Nature Of Dinosaurs
Study Points To Possible Warm-Blooded Nature Of Dinosaurs


Experts had long thought that dinosaurs were cold-blooded like the modern reptile, but subsequent research widened the field to include the possibility they had characteristics of both cold and warm blooded creatures.

Now a new study from paleontologist Dr. Michael D'Emic has concluded that the large animals' characteristics align most closely to that of warm-blooded mammals.

His conclusion is based on a re-assessment of an unrelated paper published in 2014 which documented the growth rates and metabolic processes of a wide range of species.

Though that research found dinosaurs to be somewhere in between being hot- and cold-blooded, his analysis differed from theirs on two points.

First, he disagreed with the dinosaurs' estimated growth rates because they were scaled from yearly to daily which he considers problematic.

According to him, this does not take into account uneven periods throughout the year which many large, often stressed, animals experience.

Second, he focused on their close lineal relationship to birds which still exist and are warm-blooded creatures.

He plans to further his research by studying other dinosaur remains to determine their metabolic status and variability.

If you're into dinosaurs, check out the slideshow below for more pics of the creatures:

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