T. rex Was WARM-BLOODED?! Scientists Measured Its Body Temperature!
Could Tyrannosaurus rex have been warm-blooded? Scientists have finally measured the body temperature of the King of the Dinosaurs! 🦖🌡️
A new study published in Science Advances has revealed that T. rex maintained an estimated body temperature of 36.3°C (97.3°F) — comparable to the body temperatures of some modern mammals!
But how did scientists figure this out from fossils that are approximately 66 million years old?
The answer lies in T. rex's teeth!
Researchers used a technique called clumped-isotope thermometry to analyze the chemical composition of fossilized tooth enamel. By examining three T. rex teeth from the Hell Creek Formation, they estimated an average body temperature of 36.3 ± 2.5°C.
The researchers also examined fossil crocodilian teeth from the same geological formation and found significantly lower average temperatures in those animals.
So, does this finally prove that T. rex was warm-blooded? And what could this mean for its metabolism, activity levels, and ability to live in colder environments?
In this episode, we're exploring the new research and what it reveals about the physiology of the King of the Dinosaurs!
🦖 How scientists measured T. rex body temperature
🌡️ Why the estimated temperature is so important
🦷 How fossilized teeth preserve chemical evidence
🐊 How T. rex compared with ancient crocodilians
❄️ What this could mean for T. rex living in colder climates
🔬 What this discovery tells us about dinosaur physiology
📄 READ THE SCIENTIFIC PAPER:
Flores, R. J., Eagle, R. A., Trayler, R. B., et al. (2026).
"The body temperature of Tyrannosaurus rex."
Science Advances, 12(38), eaeb7653.
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeb7653 (https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeb7653)
If you enjoy dinosaur discoveries, fossil research, and the latest news from the world of paleontology, make sure to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and SHARE!
And as always...
LET'S GET PREHISTORIC! 🦖
9 Oct 2026
A T. rex LEFT FOOTPRINTS Behind! | The First Adult T. rex Trackway?
For the first time, paleontologists may have found a trackway made by an adult Tyrannosaurus rex! 🦖👣
Discovered in the Hell Creek Formation of southwestern North Dakota, this remarkable trackway preserves four connected three-toed footprints, each roughly 1 meter (3 feet) long. The trackway stretches for about 7 meters (23 feet) and dates back approximately 66.5 million years.
The trackmaker is believed to have been an adult Tyrannosaurus rex based on the size and morphology of the footprints, their geological age and location, and the presence of T. rex fossils in the same formation. However, as with any fossil trackway, the identification is not absolutely certain.
What's even more fascinating is what these footprints can tell us about how T. rex actually moved.
The trackway suggests the animal was walking at an estimated speed of around 1.5–2 meters per second — roughly 3.4–4.5 miles per hour.
Fossil bones can tell us what an animal looked like.
Fossil footprints can tell us what that animal was actually doing.
In this episode, we're taking a look at this incredible trackway and what it can tell us about the movements of the King of the Dinosaurs!
🦖 Four connected footprints
👣 Roughly 3-foot-long tracks
🌎 Hell Creek Formation
⏳ About 66.5 million years old
🚶 Estimated walking speed of 3.4–4.5 mph
🔬 Why trackways are so important for understanding dinosaur behavior
📄 READ THE SCIENTIFIC PAPER:
Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 2026
https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2026.2706201 (https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2026.2706201)
If you enjoy dinosaur discoveries, fossils, paleontology, and the latest scientific research, make sure to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and SHARE!
And as always...
LET'S GET PREHISTORIC! 🦖
2 Oct 2026
Diplodocus Has Been Found in Spain! | The First Outside North America
A dinosaur we thought was exclusively North American has now been found in Spain! 🦕🇪🇸
Paleontologists have identified fossils from the La Tejería site near El Castellar in Teruel, Spain, as belonging to Diplodocus — making this the first confirmed evidence of Diplodocus outside North America!
The fossils include 14 tail vertebrae and several chevrons, dating to roughly 150 million years ago during the Late Jurassic. The animal is estimated to have reached around 25 meters (82 feet) in length.
But this discovery isn't just about finding Diplodocus in a new country. It raises some fascinating questions about how dinosaurs were able to move between North America and Europe during the Late Jurassic, when the continents were already separating.
In this video, we're taking a look at:
🦕 The discovery of Diplodocus in Spain
🦴 What fossils were actually found
🌎 How Diplodocus could have reached Europe
🗺️ What this tells us about Late Jurassic geography
🦖 The dinosaur ecosystems of Jurassic Spain
🔬 Why this discovery changes our understanding of Diplodocus' distribution
📄 READ THE SCIENTIFIC PAPER:
Sánchez-Fenollosa, S., García-Cobeña, J., & Cobos, A. (2026).
"Intercontinental evidence of the iconic genus Diplodocus Marsh, 1878 (Dinosauria, Sauropoda)."
Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2026.2718423 (https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2026.2718423)
If you enjoy dinosaur discoveries, fossils, paleontology, and the latest scientific research, make sure to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and SHARE!
And as always...
LET'S GET PREHISTORIC! 🦖
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