Study estimates Tyrannosaurus rex maintained a body temperature similar to humans

A team of scientists used chemical clues in the enamel of three Tyrannosaurus rex teeth to estimate the dinosaur’s average internal temperature at roughly 97 °F (36 °C). The technique relies on temperature-dependent clustering of atoms within enamel, a method described by co-author Aradhna Tripati of UCLA. Published in Science Advances, the results show that the iconic predator’s body heat was similar to that of modern elephants and close to human ranges, reinforcing the consensus that T. rex was warm-blooded.

Paleobiologist Jasmina Wiemann, who was not involved in the study, noted she had expected a slightly higher temperature akin to birds. The authors suggest such thermoregulation would have allowed T. rex to thrive across diverse North American habitats and may shed light on its hunting requirements. Future work will test the approach on other dinosaurs to better understand their metabolism and ecological dominance.