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Thermoregulation in Dinosaurs

Topic
  • Anatomy & Physiology
  • Homeostasis
  • Evolution
  • Paleobiology
  • Science Practices
  • Graph Interpretation
Resource Type
  • Activities
  • Data Points
Level
High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege
Favorited By
7 Users
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Description

This activity guides the analysis of a published scientific figure from a study that explored how dinosaurs may have regulated their body temperatures.

Most animals regulate their internal body temperatures, or thermoregulate, to survive temperature changes in their environments. To shed light on the type of thermoregulation that dinosaurs used — ectothermy, endothermy, or mesothermy — scientists compared fossil evidence with the growth and metabolic rates of living species. The figure compares the body masses and resting metabolic rates of 381 living vertebrate species and 21 extinct dinosaur species. Metabolic rates of dinosaurs were estimated based on the growth rings and dimensions of fossilized bones. The “Educator Materials” document includes a captioned figure, background information, graph interpretation, and discussion questions. The “Student Handout” includes a captioned figure and background information.

Student Learning Targets
  • Analyze and interpret data from a scientific figure. 
  • Make inferences about extinct species based on observations of similar living species.
Details
Estimated Time
Within one 50-minute class period.
Key Terms

body temperature, ectotherm, endotherm, logarithmic scale, mesotherm, metabolism, scatter plot, trend line

Primary Literature

Grady, J. M., B. J. Enquist, E. Dettweiler-Robinson, N. A. Wright, and F. A. Smith. “Evidence for mesothermy in dinosaurs.” Science 344 (2014): 1268–1272. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1253143. 

To access this article, set up a free AAAS account. An annotated version of the article is also available from Science in the Classroom.

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Accessibility Level

The documents for this resource meet accessibility standards in accordance with the final rule for Section 508 of the National Rehabilitation Act.
Version History
Date Published 08.15.16
Date Updated 08.15.16
Curriculum Connections
NGSS (2013)

HS-LS4-1; SEP2, SEP4, SEP5

AP Biology (2019)

ENE-1.M, EVO-1.N; SP1, SP4

IB Biology (2016)

5.1

AP Environmental Science (2013)

II.C

Common Core (2010)

ELA.RST.9-12.7
Math.S-ID.3, Math.S-IC.1; MP2, MP5

Vision and Change (2009)

CC1; DP2, DP3

Materials
Educator Materials (PDF) 1 MB
Student Handout (PDF) 851 KB

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