monisol
Mar 30, 2015
Writing Feedback / Improving skills to get into an undergraduate program. [3]
Endotherm is the term used to describe animals that are capable, by their own, to maintain the same body temperature, despite the environmental climatic changes. Humans, birds and most mammals have this characteristic. Other kind of animals like reptiles aren't endotherms. But what about dinosaurs?
Considering dinosaurs are commonly associated with reptiles, one could think that they weren't endotherm creatures. But there are plenty of theories that suggest that, in fact, they were.
On one hand, we have the passage, where they expose the high probability that dinasours were endotherms by giving three logical explanations. The first, mentions that the ability of dinosaurs to inhabit polar regions could only be possible by being warmer than their surroundings. The second theory is based on the fact that this creatures had their legs below their trunk, so they could sustain physical activity for prolonged times, just as actual endotherms do. And last but not less important, they talk about the composition of the bones, where structures known as Haversian Canals, are characteristic of those animals that own a fast growth rate as endotherms.
On the other hand, we have what is discussed during the lecture. Despite the logical form in which the three theories were presented, they think that they don't probe that the dinosaurs were endotherms, and postulate other possible explanations. The first statement could be explained by recalling that polar regions today, could have been warmer in the past, and that dinosaurs used other ways like migrating or hybernating when the weather conditions were harsh. Regarding the legs' position, they postulate that was a way to support more weight.. And that in addition to Haversian Canals they also had Growth rings, structures that were typical in animals that have fluctuating growth rates, rather than fast, as the endotherms do.
There are many clues about dinosaurs, and each day we know more about them. But the only chance to know if they were endotherms, would be traveling in time, and seeing it with our own eyes. Otherwise we will still arguing with the little we know.
Endotherm is the term used to describe animals that are capable, by their own, to maintain the same body temperature, despite the environmental climatic changes. Humans, birds and most mammals have this characteristic. Other kind of animals like reptiles aren't endotherms. But what about dinosaurs?
Considering dinosaurs are commonly associated with reptiles, one could think that they weren't endotherm creatures. But there are plenty of theories that suggest that, in fact, they were.
On one hand, we have the passage, where they expose the high probability that dinasours were endotherms by giving three logical explanations. The first, mentions that the ability of dinosaurs to inhabit polar regions could only be possible by being warmer than their surroundings. The second theory is based on the fact that this creatures had their legs below their trunk, so they could sustain physical activity for prolonged times, just as actual endotherms do. And last but not less important, they talk about the composition of the bones, where structures known as Haversian Canals, are characteristic of those animals that own a fast growth rate as endotherms.
On the other hand, we have what is discussed during the lecture. Despite the logical form in which the three theories were presented, they think that they don't probe that the dinosaurs were endotherms, and postulate other possible explanations. The first statement could be explained by recalling that polar regions today, could have been warmer in the past, and that dinosaurs used other ways like migrating or hybernating when the weather conditions were harsh. Regarding the legs' position, they postulate that was a way to support more weight.. And that in addition to Haversian Canals they also had Growth rings, structures that were typical in animals that have fluctuating growth rates, rather than fast, as the endotherms do.
There are many clues about dinosaurs, and each day we know more about them. But the only chance to know if they were endotherms, would be traveling in time, and seeing it with our own eyes. Otherwise we will still arguing with the little we know.