Monday, February 13, 2012

Ten to fifteen questions that I have about my topic of choice are as follows;
1. What, if any, proof is there that some dinosaurs may have been warm blooded?
2. What is the main opposition to that notion?
3. What research if any has been done in the pursuit of determining the factors for endothermy?
5. What is it that would prevent a dinosaur from being endothermic?
6. What species would have been the most likely to be warm blooded?
7. Is the condition based solely on environmental conditions during the time period?
8. Would there be any other energy efficient forms of heat generation, that would have been successful in cooler climates for animals with no exterior insulation?
9. How and why was the theory of dinosaur endothermy introduced?
10. Do the arguments being made seen to make vast logical jumps or are they well thought out?

The article that I found that answers most of these questions comes from science magazine shortly after the discovery of dinosaurs that would have been living in cold climates. Here is the link, http://www.jstor.org/sici?sici=1095-9203(20020101)295:5557%3C979:PEPD%3E2.0.TX;2-P&origin=EBSCO.

In the article entitled "Polar Dinosaurs" by Thomas H. Rich, Patricia Vickers-Rich, and Roland A. Gangloff, it is argued that new findings and research in places such as Australia and Alaska may have a one time been the homes of dinosaurs capable of surviving cold weather climates. Within the article many things are covered, such as the inhibiting logistics of digging for dinosaurs in places like Alaska, and how many of these "cold weather dinosaurs" would migrate seasonally for a temperature norm. Through much research into the fossils of these dinosaurs has also led to the discovery that many of these higher latitude dinosaurs possessed larger optic nerves giving them better vision in clear and adverse weather conditions.The article ends with the statement that several species have been found at these higher latitudes but none that are new to science. Other than of course their adaptations to their living environment.

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