Monday, 22 September 2014
Dinosaur Farts Caused Global Warming
Scientists have calculated what amount of gas the dinosaurs would have produced as result of their digestion-probably meant that they warmed their own climate.
Scientists from Liverpool John Moore's University in the UK have calculated the methane output of sauropods-dinosaur family including the species Brontosaurus-by comparing their digestive system to cows' one. The results show that the world's population of dinosaurs would have produced about 520 million tonnes of methane yearly.
Sauropods were massive animals that girded on vegetation-but it's the microscopic organisms living inside them that were producing the gas. One of the researchers, David Wilkinson, explains to the BBC:
"Although it's the dinosaur element that captures the popular imagination with this work, actually it is the microbes living in the dinosaurs guts that are making the methane... Cows today produce something like 50-100 [million tonnes] per year. Our best estimate for Sauropods is around 520 [million tonnes]."
Compare it to the current levels of methane output-total around 500 million tonnes a year-and the researchers believe that the gas had a significant affect on the warming of the planet.
[image credit: en.wikipedia.com]
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(
Atom
)
No comments :
Post a Comment