title: Dinosaur body temperatures determined from isotopic (¹³C-¹⁸O) ordering in fossil biominerals.
abstract: The nature of the physiology and thermal regulation of the nonavian dinosaurs is the subject of debate. Previously, arguments have been made for both endothermic and ectothermic metabolisms on the basis of differing methodologies. We used clumped isotope thermometry to determine body temperatures from the fossilized teeth of large Jurassic sauropods. Our data indicate body temperatures of 36° to 38°C, which are similar to those of most modern mammals. This temperature range is 4° to 7°C lower than predicted by a model that showed scaling of dinosaur body temperature with mass, which could indicate that sauropods had mechanisms to prevent excessively high body temperatures being reached because of their gigantic size.
authors.affiliation: Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA. rob.eagle@gmail.com
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Eagle
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tütken
authors.forename: Taylor S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Aradhna K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Tripati
authors.forename: Henry C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Fricke
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Connely
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Cifelli
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Eiler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D001831:Body Temperature; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D002254:Carbonates / Q000032:analysis; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000737:chemistry*; D025061:Dinosaurs / Q000502:physiology*; D005580:Fossils; D010103:Oxygen Isotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000032:analysis; D013636:Tanzania; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002254:Carbonates; D010103:Oxygen Isotopes; D010710:Phosphates