Scientists have directly estimated Tyrannosaurus rex's body temperature at approximately 97 degrees Fahrenheit using chemical analysis of fossilized tooth enamel, confirming decades of suspicions that the predator was warm-blooded. The technique, which measures isotope bonds in tooth enamel, reveals that T. rex maintained an active metabolism comparable to modern humans, positioning it between cold-blooded reptiles and warm-blooded birds. This finding provides new insights into the dinosaur's behavior, physiology, and ecological role 66 to 69 million years ago.
Scientists discovered that massive titanosaurs couldn't incubate their eggs by sitting on them, so they used a crocodile-like strategy instead. Analysis of microscopic pores in fossilized eggshells found in cool southern Argentina reveals these giant dinosaurs buried their eggs in decomposing vegetation to generate heat for hatching.
Scientists discovered rare bird feathers preserved in fossilized dinosaur feces from 66 million years ago at Montana's Hell Creek Formation, providing new insights into Late Cretaceous bird morphology and extinction patterns. Separately, paleontologists found fossilized titanosaur eggs in Patagonia that reveal breeding behaviors of the largest land animals ever.