Robert Eagle

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Study confirms T. rex was warm-blooded with a human-like temperature

As of September 2026: Co-authored the Science Advances paper

A Tyrannosaurus rex ran a body temperature of about 97 degrees Fahrenheit in life, nearly identical to a modern human. Chemists extracted the figure from rare isotope bonds preserved in fossilized tooth enamel — the first direct temperature measurement of the dinosaur.

Updated Sep 20

Notable Quotes

No one's been able to make a temperature measurement like this before. We found T. rex was 36 Celsius (97 Fahrenheit), about the same as humans.

from Study confirms T. rex was warm-blooded with a human-like temperature · Updated Sep 20

The temperature is about what I would have guessed — higher than a reptile or a slow mammal like a sloth, but lower than an avian.

from Study confirms T. rex was warm-blooded with a human-like temperature · Updated Sep 20