"We're getting at body temperature through a line of reasoning that I think is relatively bullet-proof, provided you can find well-preserved samples," Eiler says. In this method, the researchers measured the concentrations of the rare isotopes carbon-13 and oxygen-18 in bioapatite, a mineral found in teeth and bone. How often these isotopes bond with each other--or "clump"--depends on temperature.
The researchers analyzed 11 teeth, unearthed up in Tanzania, Wyoming and Oklahoma, that belonged to the dinosaurs Brachiosaurus and Camarasaurus. They found that Brachiosaurus had a temperature of about 38.2 degrees Celsius (100.8 degrees Fahrenheit) andCamarasaurus had one of about 35.7 degrees Celsius (96.3 degrees Fahrenheit), warmer than modern and extinct crocodiles and alligators, but cooler than birds. The measurements are accurate to within one or two degrees Celsius.
(Would this have saved them money? Dinosaur thermometer sold in stores)
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