Climate change may have forced some dinosaur groups to become warm-blooded: Study

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As per the new theory, increased volcanic activity may have driven mercury upwards in the Early Jurassic period.

Our conventional wisdom says all dinosaurs were cold-blooded. However, a new study has challenged this long-held notion, implying that they may have evolved themselves to become warm-blooded to overcome climate challenges.

The new theory

As per the new theory, increased volcanic activity may have driven mercury upwards in the Early Jurassic period. Over the period, this led to the extinction of various plant species. This climate emergency gave rise to various new groups of dinosaurs. 

Scientists say this may have led to endothermy among dinosaurs, which means the ability to generate heat inside the body, a feature of mammals and birds.

Endothermy allowed dinosaurs to move to colder regions and survive there. 

"Our analyses show that different climate preferences emerged among the main dinosaur groups around the time of the Jenkyns event 183 million years ago," explained study lead author Dr Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza of UCL Earth Sciences.

"The adoption of endothermy, perhaps a result of this environmental crisis, may have enabled theropods and ornithischians to thrive in colder environments."

Which groups first embraced endothermy?

It is speculated that Theropods, the group that includes the iconic T. rex and Velociraptor, and ornithischians, which include relatives of the plant-eating Stegosaurus and Triceratops, were the first ones to adopt the new ability to generate heat inside their bodies.

"Theropods also include birds and our study suggests that birds' unique temperature regulation may have had its origin in this Early Jurassic epoch," noted co-author Dr. Sara Varela of the Universidade de Vigo.

The new ability thus gave them a significant edge over their cold-blooded counterparts.

Some questions still unanswered

The new theory provides exciting insights into the evolution of warm-blooded traits in dinosaurs, but many questions remain unanswered.

It is still not clear how the new ability developed over time and what other factors may have contributed to its development.

As scientists further dive into the details of dinosaur evolution, one fact remains clear: these ancient beings were significantly more intricate and captivating than previously believed.

(With inputs from agencies)

Vikrant Singh

Geopolitical writer at WION, follows Indian foreign policy and world politics, a truth seeker.