The big, hot belching of dinosaurs
<p><span word="Download">Download</span></p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="study">study</span> <span word="suggests">suggests</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="dinosaurs">dinosaurs</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="helped">helped</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="already">already</span> <span word="overheated">overheated</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="warmer">warmer</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="flatulence">flatulence</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="belching">belching</span> 200 <span word="million">million</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="research">research</span> <span word="published">published</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Monday">Monday</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Current">Current</span> <span word="Biology">Biology</span> <span word="suggests">suggests</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="dinosaurs">dinosaurs</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="significant">significant</span> <span word="contribution">contribution</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="greenhouse">greenhouse</span> <span word="effect">effect</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="then">then</span>. <span word="Study">Study</span> <span word="author">author</span> <span word="David">David</span> <span word="Wilkinson">Wilkinson</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Liverpool">Liverpool</span> <span word="John">John</span> <span word="Moores">Moores</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="England">England</span> <span word="estimated">estimated</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="about">about</span> 570 <span word="million">million</span> <span word="tons">tons</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="methane">methane</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="dinosaurs">dinosaurs</span>. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="total">total</span> <span word="atmospheric">atmospheric</span> <span word="levels">levels</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="methane">methane</span> <span word="today">today</span> <span word="produced">produced</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="livestock">livestock</span>, <span word="farming">farming</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="industry">industry</span>. <span word="Cows">Cows</span> <span word="alone">alone</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="produce">produce</span> <span word="nearly">nearly</span> 100 <span word="tons">tons</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="methane">methane</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="study">study</span> <span word="looks">looks</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="biggest">biggest</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="presumably">presumably</span> <span word="gassiest">gassiest</span> <span word="dinosaurs">dinosaurs</span>, <span word="called">called</span> <span word="sauropods">sauropods</span>. <span word="These">These</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="long">long</span>-<span word="necked">necked</span> <span word="plant">plant</span> <span word="eaters">eaters</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="munched">munched</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="trees">trees</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="animals">animals</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="fermenting">fermenting</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="guts">guts</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="periods">periods</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="gigantic">gigantic</span> <span word="size">size</span>, <span word="said">said</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Maryland">Maryland</span> <span word="paleontologist">paleontologist</span> <span word="Thomas">Thomas</span> <span word="Holtz">Holtz</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="study">study</span>.</p><p><span word="Wilkinson">Wilkinson</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="dinosaur">dinosaur</span> <span word="gas">gas</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="factor">factor</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="quite">quite</span> <span word="tropical">tropical</span>, <span word="about">about</span> 18 <span word="degrees">degrees</span> <span word="warmer">warmer</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="now">now</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="media">media</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="blogosphere">blogosphere</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="misinterpreted">misinterpreted</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="study">study</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="main">main</span> <span word="cause">cause</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="ancient">ancient</span> <span word="warming">warming</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="phone">phone</span> <span word="interview">interview</span>, <span word="Wilkinson">Wilkinson</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="causes">causes</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="dinosaur">dinosaur</span> <span word="gas">gas</span> "<span word="is">is</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="enough">enough</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="measurable">measurable</span> <span word="effect">effect</span>".</p><p><span word="What">What</span> <span word="caused">caused</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ancient">ancient</span> <span word="pre">pre</span>-<span word="human">human</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="hot">hot</span> - <span word="just">just</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dinosaurs">dinosaurs</span> <span word="needed">needed</span> <span word="it">it</span> -<span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="variety">variety</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="factors">factors</span>. <span word="Volcanoes">Volcanoes</span> <span word="spewed">spewed</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="greenhouse">greenhouse</span> <span word="gases">gases</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="now">now</span>, <span word="Holtz">Holtz</span> <span word="said">said</span>. <span word="Swamps">Swamps</span>, <span word="water">water</span> <span word="currents">currents</span>, <span word="shallow">shallow</span> <span word="seas">seas</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="plentiful">plentiful</span> <span word="plankton">plankton</span> <span word="combined">combined</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="raise">raise</span> <span word="greenhouse">greenhouse</span> <span word="gas">gas</span> <span word="levels">levels</span> <span word="far">far</span> <span word="higher">higher</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="today">today</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p>
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