Researchers Measured T. Rex Body Temperature
New fossil analysis suggests the dinosaur maintained a body temperature of 97 degrees Fahrenheit.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Geology
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Researchers determined the body temperature of a Tyrannosaurus rex using chemical analysis of fossilized teeth. This study indicates the dinosaur was likely endothermic.
Why it matters
Understanding the metabolic status of dinosaurs helps clarify how these apex predators functioned in their ecosystems. This research provides a direct physiological data point to contrast against historical theories regarding dinosaur biology.
Researchers measured a temperature of 97 degrees Fahrenheit by analyzing chemical bonds between rare forms of elements found in two T. rex teeth. This method provides a thermal record stored within the fossilized structures.
The players
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
A research and public institution that provided the fossilized T. rex teeth used in the study.
Thomas
The specific Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton that served as the source for the research samples.
The details
To conduct the measurement, scientists drilled tiny holes into fossilized teeth samples from a skeleton known as Thomas. They analyzed the abundance of rare isotopes—atoms of the same element with different neutron counts—forming chemical bonds within the mineral structure. The specific distribution of these heavy isotopes is sensitive to the temperature at which the mineral formed, allowing researchers to back-calculate the organism's internal body temperature.
Timeline
September 2026: Study reporting the T. rex temperature was published.
The Tech Race
This finding contributes to the ongoing debate over whether large dinosaurs were endothermic or ectothermic. It sits within a broader effort to use geochemical signatures to reconstruct the physiology of extinct species.
This research is currently a scientific study that informs the broader understanding of dinosaur biology. Los Angeles residents can view the original skeleton used in the study at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
The takeaway
The study confirms that a T. rex maintained an internal temperature of 97 degrees Fahrenheit, signaling complex internal metabolic processes. Readers should watch for future isotope-based studies that may apply this same drilling and chemical bond analysis to other dinosaur skeletons.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest findings in the field of Geology.
Source note: This article includes information reported by GlobalPost.
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