Smithsonian Magazine · People & society

T. Rex Had a Warm Body Temperature, Study Suggests

New research indicates Tyrannosaurus rex was warm-blooded, with a body temperature similar to humans, challenging older theories that dinosaurs were cold-blooded like modern reptiles.

Scientists measured the body temperature of a T. rex by analyzing the chemical bonds in fossilized teeth. The analysis revealed a body temperature of approximately 97 degrees Fahrenheit, suggesting a warm-blooded metabolism.

This finding, published in Science Advances, is based on analyzing the chemical composition of enamel from T. rex teeth. The number of carbon-oxygen bonds in enamel increases as temperature decreases, allowing researchers to infer formation temperature.

To validate their method, researchers also analyzed the teeth of an ancient crocodilian from the same fossil site. This crocodilian had a cooler estimated temperature of 88 degrees Fahrenheit, indicating the T. rex measurement was not distorted by geological factors.

A warm-blooded T. rex would have had a higher metabolism, requiring more food and enabling more sustained activity for hunting and migration. This could explain how the dinosaur sustained its large size and active lifestyle.

The study suggests that T. rex's warm-blooded nature would have allowed it to inhabit colder regions, such as Alaska, which were likely too chilly for cold-blooded dinosaurs during the Cretaceous period.

The estimated body temperature of T. rex falls between that of modern reptiles (82-86°F) and birds (104-109°F). This warm-bloodedness would have significantly expanded the potential geographic range of T. rex across North America.

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