Surviving dinosaurs

[vlc1500]

Current evidence indicates that large dinosaurs such as sauropods inhabited temperate zone ecosystem. Thermoregulation would be a problem. Discuss how they did it with specific reference to behaviour and physiology.

[Khaiy]

We don't do your homework for you, post some of your own ideas and we'd be happy to critique them though, and maybe present some of our own.

[vlc1500]

From what i understand sauropods are ectotherms, and they are not able to regulate their own body temperature. So, i guess they might go under a tree for shade when they are hot, and maybe go into the rays of the sun when they are cold. Sauropods are huge, so they are a bit tricky. Did they put their head in holes like ostridges? Exercise? How about huddling together, i guess they would like to move together in packs.

[WolverSyr]

Try to reason it out. Sauropods were huge animals.
They had a very large surface area - would that cause a lot of heat loss? Would it also provide a large area for heat absorption? At the same time, they had a massive & dense interior - would that maintain a level of heat, or does that matter at all?
Think about how heat is maintained or lost in a large animal. It doesn't always matter if it's "warm" or "cold" blooded.

Also, think about what we don't know about dinosaurs. Were there adaptations to the skin to prevent heat loss? What might they be? What do you think the skin surface looked like? What color could the animal be? How could all of that help sauropods maintain a functional body temp.

[stephanie219]

The only living dinosaurs I see roaming the earth would be: birds and reptiles. They are the direct descendents of those mysterious "thunder lizards." Meaning dinosaurs.

[Darby]

No, it's only the birds. Dinosaurs were descendants of primitive reptiles, not the other way around.