Estimated Body Temperature 47℃
Children looking up in wonder at the dinosaur model in the central hall of the Natural History Museum
[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Amid ongoing debates about whether dinosaurs, known as ancestors of modern birds, were warm-blooded or cold-blooded, a study has suggested that dinosaurs likely had warm blood.
On the 25th (local time), according to CNN, a research team led by Yasmina Biman, a paleontology researcher at the California Institute of Technology, published their findings on dinosaur metabolism rates and body temperature in the international scientific journal Nature.
The research team examined the tissue cells of dinosaur bones that were preserved intact during the fossilization process. These tissue cells contained traces of waste products formed when oxygen inhaled by living organisms reacted with proteins and carbohydrates.
The researchers hypothesized that if dinosaurs were warm-blooded animals with high metabolic rates, they would have inhaled more oxygen, resulting in relatively higher amounts of waste products. Using spectroscopic analysis, they measured the amount of waste in the dinosaur tissue cells and analyzed the metabolic rate based on this data.
As a result, the dinosaurs' metabolic rate was confirmed to be similar to that of modern birds, and their body temperature, which is proportional to metabolic rate, was measured at around 47°C. This indicates that dinosaurs were warm-blooded animals with body temperatures higher than humans.
CNN stated, "This study is the first systematic analysis of dinosaur body temperature" and added, "It will serve as a key clue for future research into the biological characteristics of dinosaurs."
Jingmai O'Connor, a vertebrate paleontology researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, commented, "Dr. Biman has presented a groundbreaking method for analyzing the biological information of extinct ancient organisms."
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