Body temperature can be estimated by the relative proportion of two oxygen isotopes in bone. ββββ βββββββββ βββββββ ββββ ββββββββ βββββββ βββββββ ββββ βββββββββ βββ ββββββ βββ ββββ ββββ βββββββββββ ββ βββββ βββββ ββ ββ βββ ββββ ββ βββββ βββββββ ββββββββββ βββ ββββ ββββ βββββββββββ ββ ββββββββββββ βββββββ βββββ ββ ββββ ββββββ ββββ βββ ββββ βββββββββββ ββ βββββ ββββββ βββββ βββββββββ ββββ ββββββββ βββββββββββββ
Dinosaurs were likely warm-blooded because the oxygen isotopes in their bones suggest that their limbs had the same body temperature as the rest of their body. And typically, the body temperature of modern cold-blooded animals much is higher than their limbs.
The author assumes that the discrepancy in the body/limb temperature of modern cold-blooded animals was the same as cold-blooded animals during the time of the dinosaurs. The author also assumes that the process of determining body temperature from bones is applicable to dinosaur fossils.
Analysis by Spaulding.Bingaman
Which one of the following, ββ βββββ ββββ βββββββββ βββββββ βββ βββββββββ
Large warm-blooded animals ββββ βββββ ββββ ββββ βββββββββββ ββββββββ ββββββ ββββ βββ ββββ βββββββββββ ββ βββββ ββββββ
The fossilization process ββββββββββ βββββββ ββ βββββ ββββ ββββ βββββ ββββββββ ββββββ βββββββ ββββββ ββββββ ββ ββββββββββ
Oxygen was more ββββββββ ββ βββββββ ββββββββββ ββββββ βββ ββββββ ββ βββββ βββ βββββββββ ββββββ
Small warm-blooded animals ββββ ββββ ββββ ββ ββββ ββββ βββββββ ββββ ββββββββββββ ββββ ββ βββββ ββββββββββββ βββββββ ββββ ββββββββββ
Warm-blooded animals are ββββ ββββββ βββ βββ ββββ ββββββ ββββ ββββββββββββ ββββββββ