Isotopic analyses of bone phosphate oxygen from a modern alligator, ostrich, and elephant have provided a means for examining diagenesis and thermoregulatory strategy within the dinosaur Acrocanthosaurus atokensis. The Acrocanthosaurus specimen is assumed to retain an original isotopic signature, based on a lack of linear correlation between δ18Ophosphate and structural δ18Ocarbonate, equal standard deviations between δ18Ophosphate values for spongy and compact bone, and a significant difference between δ18Ophosphate and cement δ18Ocarbonate. Interbone and intrabone temperature variation patterns suggest that Acrocanthosaurus followed a homeothermic pattern of heat distribution (i.e. maintenance of a 4°C temperature range). Comparison with the modern animals yields a closer resemblance to the ostrich and elephant versus the alligator, thereby suggesting Acrocanthosaurus was endothermic. The Acrocanthosaurus sacral spines and palatal bones show evidence of use as heat shedding structures and the braincase yields a significantly higher calculated temperature than the body.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:NCSU/oai:NCSU:etd-12312003-115912 |
| Date | 08 January 2004 |
| Creators | Missell, Christine Ann |
| Contributors | Reese Barrick, Jonathan Karr, Harold Heatwole, Dale Russell |
| Publisher | NCSU |
| Source Sets | North Carolina State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/theses/available/etd-12312003-115912/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to NC State University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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