New research shows that Tyrannosaurus Rex may have a small "air conditioner" in its head

Every summer, I have to sigh that air conditioning saves me from the scorching heat. It is because of air conditioning that we can live comfortably in severe cold and heat.

But we are not the only ones who can enjoy air conditioning.

Because the latest research shows that the Tyrannosaurus Rex may have a small "air conditioner" built into its huge head.

During the Cretaceous period when Tyrannosaurus Rex lived, the earth's environment was far less stable and comfortable than it is now, and the temperature difference between day and night was much larger than it is now.

Even the Tyrannosaurus Rex, the dominant power at the time, had to adapt to the harsh environment in order to survive.

Muscle movement hypothesis

In the past, scientists called the two large holes on top of the Tyrannosaurus Rex's skull "dorsal tendon windows."

Meaning that this location is filled with muscles that aid in jaw movement, they believe the muscles rose from the T. rex's jaw, rotated 90 degrees, and then ran along the top of the skull.

But this muscle-movement hypothesis has been questioned.

"It's really strange that the muscle rises from the jaw, turns 90 degrees, and then runs along the top of the skull," said a paper published today in the Anatomical Record.

By studying skull holes in living modern animals, such as alligators, and comparing them to similar features in T. rex fossils, they overturned the long-held belief that the skull holes in T. rex's head were filled with muscle.

As for why crocodiles were chosen as research subjects.

It’s not because I’ve lived too long...

The appearance of crocodiles can be traced back to the Mesozoic Era from the Triassic to the Cretaceous Period. They are one of the earliest and most primitive living reptiles discovered so far, and it can be said that they lived with Tyrannosaurus Rex for a long time.

Why Tyrannosaurus Rex might have had air conditioning

Researchers at the University of Florida's Department of Biology laboratory used a thermal imaging camera to film alligators at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoo in Florida.

As a cold-blooded animal, the body temperature of a crocodile changes depending on the temperature of its environment.

The researchers found that when the surrounding temperature drops, crocodiles heat themselves up, and thermal imaging shows that these holes on the top of their skulls are obvious glowing points, indicating that the temperature has increased;

However, when the environment warms, the holes in the skull appear dark in thermal images because the crocodiles no longer need to absorb heat.

This evidence suggests that crocodiles have a cross-circulatory system, or internal thermostat.

The skull of Tyrannosaurus Rex is similar to that of a crocodile, and there are also holes on the top of the head.

By taking thermal imaging photos of alligators and thermal imaging data from the Cave of the Skull study and comparing them with similar features in Tyrannosaurus rex fossils, the researchers inferred that Tyrannosaurus rex may also have an internal thermostat in its head to regulate body temperature and adapt to the environment.

Based on the inference, the thermal imaging image of Tyrannosaurus Rex and crocodile in the same low temperature environment was drawn

But how did this hole in the skull change over time and how did it evolve as part of a temperature regulation system?

"At this point, we cannot be sure because the directionality of the temperature flow is uncontrollable," the researchers said. "However, given the differences in daytime thermal characteristics and our understanding of alligator temperature regulation, we are confident that we will be able to find the cause in the future."