Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Key to Success? Dinosaurs May Have Been Warm-Blooded
Live Science ^ | Nov 10, 2009 | Charles Q. Choi

Posted on 11/11/2009 12:32:37 PM PST by 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: History; Science
KEYWORDS: dinosaurs; godsgravesglyphs; paleontology; science
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-23 next last

1 posted on 11/11/2009 12:32:38 PM PST by decimon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

Hemoglobal warming ping.


2 posted on 11/11/2009 12:33:49 PM PST by decimon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: decimon

Makes sense to me.


3 posted on 11/11/2009 12:40:15 PM PST by cripplecreek (Seniors, the new shovel ready project under socialized medicine.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: decimon

Actually, I had read about this theory years ago.


4 posted on 11/11/2009 12:40:41 PM PST by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: decimon

Actually, I had read about this theory years ago.


5 posted on 11/11/2009 12:40:43 PM PST by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BradyLS

Its definitely not a new theory.


6 posted on 11/11/2009 12:47:01 PM PST by cripplecreek (Seniors, the new shovel ready project under socialized medicine.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: BradyLS

“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.


7 posted on 11/11/2009 12:52:39 PM PST by UCANSEE2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: All
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
8 posted on 11/11/2009 1:03:21 PM PST by BigEdLB (Now there ARE 1,000,000 regrets - but it may be too late.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: decimon
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.')

9 posted on 11/11/2009 1:18:50 PM PST by Liberty1970 (God: He who honors Me, I will honor.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: decimon

Just big chickens.

I bet they tasted like chicken.


10 posted on 11/11/2009 1:21:45 PM PST by BenLurkin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Liberty1970

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


11 posted on 11/11/2009 1:23:17 PM PST by decimon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Liberty1970
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.
12 posted on 11/11/2009 2:25:12 PM PST by flowerplough ( Pennsylvania today - New New Jersey meets North West Virginia.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: decimon; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...

· join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic · subscribe ·

 
Gods
Graves
Glyphs
Thanks decimon.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
 

·Dogpile · Archaeologica · ArchaeoBlog · Archaeology · Biblical Archaeology Society ·
· Discover · Nat Geographic · Texas AM Anthro News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · Google ·
· The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists ·


13 posted on 11/11/2009 7:23:47 PM PST by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/__Since Jan 3, 2004__Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv; decimon

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...


14 posted on 11/11/2009 8:20:04 PM PST by bigheadfred (My mama warned me there'd be days like these :-)))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: bigheadfred

Thanks a bunch. Now none of us can sleep.


15 posted on 11/11/2009 8:49:55 PM PST by null and void (We are now in day 294 of our national holiday from reality. - 0bama really isn't one of US.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: decimon

“potentially explaining their extraordinary success before their extinction.”

Damn extinctions!


16 posted on 11/12/2009 4:57:52 AM PST by wolfcreek (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lsd7DGqVSIc)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wolfcreek
“potentially explaining their extraordinary success before their extinction.”

Damn extinctions!

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

17 posted on 11/12/2009 5:06:47 AM PST by decimon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: decimon

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

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

:-))


18 posted on 11/12/2009 5:31:34 AM PST by bigheadfred ( Be who you are and say what you feel. Those who mind don't matter. Those who matter don't mind.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: null and void

I’m still here! How about you? :-))


19 posted on 11/12/2009 10:15:01 AM PST by bigheadfred ( Be who you are and say what you feel. Those who mind don't matter. Those who matter don't mind.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: bigheadfred

Awake.

And filled with a terrible resolve.


20 posted on 11/12/2009 10:51:06 AM PST by null and void (We are now in day 295 of our national holiday from reality. - 0bama really isn't one of US.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-23 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson