Can Scientists Now Distinguish Between Warm and Cold-Blooded Dinosaurs?

New research determines if dinosaurs were warm or cold-blooded, providing insight to their lifestyle and where they lived.

By Sara Novak
May 26, 2022 9:00 PMJul 11, 2023 7:48 PM
Triceratops, a cold-blooded dinosaur
(Credit: Dotted Yeti/Shutterstock)

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We used to think of dinosaurs as enormous reptiles, cold-blooded with scaly skin and monotone coloring.

But in recent years, we’ve learned that many dinosaurs were likely covered in vibrant feathers and were more closely related to birds than any modern lizards.

And many of those cold-blooded dinosaurs we thought basked in the sun to warm up, were instead warm or even hot-blooded creatures.

Were Dinosaurs Warm or Cold-Blooded?

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