Biomechanics of running indicates endothermy in bipedal dinosaurs.

<h4>Background</h4>One of the great unresolved controversies in paleobiology is whether extinct dinosaurs were endothermic, ectothermic, or some combination thereof, and when endothermy first evolved in the lineage leading to birds. Although it is well established that high, sustained gr...

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Autores principales:	Herman Pontzer, Vivian Allen, John R Hutchinson
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2009
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/e4ff9f3e0cca49199d983b84cc2112ac
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:e4ff9f3e0cca49199d983b84cc2112ac2021-11-25T06:28:11ZBiomechanics of running indicates endothermy in bipedal dinosaurs.1932-620310.1371/journal.pone.0007783https://doaj.org/article/e4ff9f3e0cca49199d983b84cc2112ac2009-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/19911059/pdf/?tool=EBIhttps://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203<h4>Background</h4>One of the great unresolved controversies in paleobiology is whether extinct dinosaurs were endothermic, ectothermic, or some combination thereof, and when endothermy first evolved in the lineage leading to birds. Although it is well established that high, sustained growth rates and, presumably, high activity levels are ancestral for dinosaurs and pterosaurs (clade Ornithodira), other independent lines of evidence for high metabolic rates, locomotor costs, or endothermy are needed. For example, some studies have suggested that, because large dinosaurs may have been homeothermic due to their size alone and could have had heat loss problems, ectothermy would be a more plausible metabolic strategy for such animals.<h4>Methodology/principal findings</h4>Here we describe two new biomechanical approaches for reconstructing the metabolic rate of 14 extinct bipedal dinosauriforms during walking and running. These methods, well validated for extant animals, indicate that during walking and slow running the metabolic rate of at least the larger extinct dinosaurs exceeded the maximum aerobic capabilities of modern ectotherms, falling instead within the range of modern birds and mammals. Estimated metabolic rates for smaller dinosaurs are more ambiguous, but generally approach or exceed the ectotherm boundary.<h4>Conclusions/significance</h4>Our results support the hypothesis that endothermy was widespread in at least larger non-avian dinosaurs. It was plausibly ancestral for all dinosauriforms (perhaps Ornithodira), but this is perhaps more strongly indicated by high growth rates than by locomotor costs. The polarity of the evolution of endothermy indicates that rapid growth, insulation, erect postures, and perhaps aerobic power predated advanced "avian" lung structure and high locomotor costs.Herman PontzerVivian AllenJohn R HutchinsonPublic Library of Science (PLoS)articleMedicineRScienceQENPLoS ONE, Vol 4, Iss 11, p e7783 (2009)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Herman Pontzer Vivian Allen John R Hutchinson Biomechanics of running indicates endothermy in bipedal dinosaurs.
description	<h4>Background</h4>One of the great unresolved controversies in paleobiology is whether extinct dinosaurs were endothermic, ectothermic, or some combination thereof, and when endothermy first evolved in the lineage leading to birds. Although it is well established that high, sustained growth rates and, presumably, high activity levels are ancestral for dinosaurs and pterosaurs (clade Ornithodira), other independent lines of evidence for high metabolic rates, locomotor costs, or endothermy are needed. For example, some studies have suggested that, because large dinosaurs may have been homeothermic due to their size alone and could have had heat loss problems, ectothermy would be a more plausible metabolic strategy for such animals.<h4>Methodology/principal findings</h4>Here we describe two new biomechanical approaches for reconstructing the metabolic rate of 14 extinct bipedal dinosauriforms during walking and running. These methods, well validated for extant animals, indicate that during walking and slow running the metabolic rate of at least the larger extinct dinosaurs exceeded the maximum aerobic capabilities of modern ectotherms, falling instead within the range of modern birds and mammals. Estimated metabolic rates for smaller dinosaurs are more ambiguous, but generally approach or exceed the ectotherm boundary.<h4>Conclusions/significance</h4>Our results support the hypothesis that endothermy was widespread in at least larger non-avian dinosaurs. It was plausibly ancestral for all dinosauriforms (perhaps Ornithodira), but this is perhaps more strongly indicated by high growth rates than by locomotor costs. The polarity of the evolution of endothermy indicates that rapid growth, insulation, erect postures, and perhaps aerobic power predated advanced "avian" lung structure and high locomotor costs.
format	article
author	Herman Pontzer Vivian Allen John R Hutchinson
author_facet	Herman Pontzer Vivian Allen John R Hutchinson
author_sort	Herman Pontzer
title	Biomechanics of running indicates endothermy in bipedal dinosaurs.
title_short	Biomechanics of running indicates endothermy in bipedal dinosaurs.
title_full	Biomechanics of running indicates endothermy in bipedal dinosaurs.
title_fullStr	Biomechanics of running indicates endothermy in bipedal dinosaurs.
title_full_unstemmed	Biomechanics of running indicates endothermy in bipedal dinosaurs.
title_sort	biomechanics of running indicates endothermy in bipedal dinosaurs.
publisher	Public Library of Science (PLoS)
publishDate	2009
url	https://doaj.org/article/e4ff9f3e0cca49199d983b84cc2112ac
work_keys_str_mv	AT hermanpontzer biomechanicsofrunningindicatesendothermyinbipedaldinosaurs AT vivianallen biomechanicsofrunningindicatesendothermyinbipedaldinosaurs AT johnrhutchinson biomechanicsofrunningindicatesendothermyinbipedaldinosaurs
_version_	1718413715131334656

Biomechanics of running indicates endothermy in bipedal dinosaurs.

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