Metabolism
Scientific opinion about the life-style, metabolism and temperature regulation of dinosaurs has varied over time since the discovery of dinosaurs in the mid-19th century. The activity of metabolic enzymes varies with temperature, so temperature control is vital for any organism, whether endothermic or ectothermic. Organisms can be categorized as poikilotherms (poikilo - changing), which are tolerant of internal temperature fluctuations, and homeotherms (homeo - same), which must maintain a constant core temperature. Animals can be further categorized as endotherms, which regulate their temperature internally, and ectotherms, which regulate temperature by the use of external heat sources.
The current consensus view suggests that dinosaur metabolism did not closely match any found in living vertebrates, and, consequently, that they cannot be categorized as either "warm" or "cold-blooded." Rather, they lie somewhere on the spectrum between poikilothermy and homeothermy. Consequently, current research focuses on mechanisms of metabolism and temperature regulation, and the similarities between dinosaurian, avian and mammalian metabolisms.
Read more about this topic: Physiology Of Dinosaurs
Famous quotes containing the word metabolism:
“He’s got a fifteen percent metabolism with an overactive thyroid and a glandular affectation of about three percent. With a one percent mentality. He’s what we designate as the Crummy Moronic type.”
—Robert Pirosh, U.S. screenwriter, George Seaton, George Oppenheimer, and Sam Wood. Dr. Hugo Z. Hackenbush (Groucho Marx)