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The Tyrannosaurus rex had a built-in air conditioner, according to a study

2019-09-05T15:46:25.078Z


Researchers believe they have now discovered the secret of how Tyrannosaurus rex kept a cool head. Two holes in the top of the head would have the answer.


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(CNN) - One of the largest predators that walked the Earth needed to cool off once in a while.

Researchers believe they have now discovered the secret of how the Tyrannosaurus rex kept a cool head. The carnivorous dinosaur had something similar to an air conditioner in its skull, according to a new study published Wednesday in The Anatomical Record.

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Previously discovered skulls belonging to T. rex had two large holes at the top. In the past, scientists believed that this part on the upper roof of the skull was equipped with muscles that helped the powerful movements of the jaw of T. rex.

The researchers involved in the new study, including the professor of anatomy at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Casey Holliday, had more difficulty making that connection.

"It's really strange that a muscle that comes out of the jaw makes a 90 degree turn and travels through the roof of the skull," said Holliday, principal investigator. "However, we now have many compelling evidence of blood vessels in this area, according to our work with alligators and other reptiles."

  • READ: Meet Scotty, the largest rex Tyrannosaurus ever discovered

To understand what might have been happening in T. rex's head, the researchers applied thermal images to modern reptiles.

Thermal images allow heat to be translated into visible light. The researchers used this technique in alligators at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoo in Florida.

"The body heat of a crocodile depends on its surroundings," said Kent Vliet, author of the study and laboratory coordinator in the Department of Biology at the University of Florida. “Therefore, we noticed that when it was colder and the alligators were trying to warm up, our thermal image showed large hot spots in these holes in the roof of his skull, indicating an increase in temperature. However, later in the day when it is hotter, the holes appear dark, as if they were turned off to keep cool. ”

This coincides with previous research on alligators and their circulatory system of cross current, "or an internal thermostat, so to speak," said Vliet.

  • READ: They discover a giant crocodile of the Jurassic era that had teeth of Tyrannosaurus rex

The thermal image data of the alligators were combined together with fossils of T. rex and other dinosaur remains. This allowed researchers to see how the two holes have evolved.

"We know that, similar to T. rex, alligators have holes in the roof of their skulls and are full of blood vessels," said Larry Witmer, author of the study and professor of anatomy at the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Ohio University “However, for more than 100 years we have been putting muscles in a similar space in dinosaurs. By using some anatomy and physiology of current animals, we can show that we can cancel those initial hypotheses about the anatomy of this part of the skull of T. rex. ”

A large land predator like T. rex would need to be able to shed heat because it generated a lot of body heat in general, Holliday said. Having a "thermal window" on your head would help. They may also have gasped, like birds and crocodiles.

The new interpretation of this mechanism in the T. rex skull changes our understanding of how some dinosaurs worked in general. Special sets of blood vessels in their skulls, located near where our temple is, could act as a way to regulate the temperature of the brain and body.

"Dinosaurs were probably blood warmer than we used to think, more like birds than lizards," said Holliday. "Being warm-blooded would allow them to not depend so much on environmental temperatures, such as cold-blooded lizards, but also control their own body's temperature by internal means."

This also means that the jaw muscles of T. rex and the strength of their bite may be smaller than previously believed.

In the future, Holliday and his fellow researchers will fly drones over wild alligators to make more thermal images.

Source: cnnespanol

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