A Dinosaur Heat Exchanger
Isaiah 13:22a
“And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces”
Large dinosaurs could conceivably have had a heat problem. If they were able to generate their own body temperature, like birds and mammals, then the larger the size, the greater the volume to surface area ratio. This would lead to a greater retention of heat. How would large dinosaurs have been able to cope with such a situation?
A lot of research on the subject of dinosaurs has been hampered by researchers’ general assumptions on the supposed evolution of the creature that they are studying. This is despite the fact that there is no scientific evidence for such evolution. So it is exciting to come across some research that does not require evolutionary beliefs to make sense. Such research was carried out by Ohio University scientists into an ankylosaur, named euoplocephalus. This dinosaur fossil – about the size of a large rhino – had a highly convoluted nasal passage. Computer modeling has suggested that this extended passage would lead to veins being close to a lot of incoming air. The air would cool the blood, before it is transported to the brain, and the blood would warm the air before it hit the lungs. Thus there would be a pretty efficient heat exchange in the animal’s nostrils.
The one flaw in the research was when one scientist suggested that nature was finding a solution to a problem. Nature is not alive, and does not find solutions. This system speaks volumes about God’s wonderful design.
Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for the talents that You have given to people as they find ways of studying the world in which you have placed us. Amen.
Author: Paul F. Taylor
Ref: Ohio University. "Huge armored dinosaurs battled overheating with nasal air-conditioning: Researchers use 3D computer modeling to simulate heat exchange in dinosaurs." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 December 2018.
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