A 66-million-year-old tooth reveals T. rex was nearly as warm as a human

Recent research published in ScienceDaily indicates that the iconic predator Tyrannosaurus rex likely possessed endothermic, or warm-blooded, characteristics. By analyzing chemical signatures preserved within fossilized teeth, researchers were able to estimate the animal's internal body temperature. The data suggests that T. rex maintained a temperature of approximately 97 degrees Fahrenheit, which is remarkably close to the average body temperature of modern humans. This physiological insight challenges older models that depicted large dinosaurs as purely ectothermic or 'cold-blooded' creatures. The ability to regulate body temperature would have provided significant metabolic advantages, allowing these massive predators to remain active and efficient hunters, even in colder climates such as those found in prehistoric Alaska. This evidence represents a major shift in our understanding of dinosaur metabolism and evolutionary biology.