OREANDA-NEWS It was previously believed that these holes were needed for muscles that help control a powerful jaw. But, according to anatomist Casey Holliday from the University of Missouri, something didn't quite fit together. Researchers analyzed various skulls to determine which of them had the fenestra most similar to T. Rex. The closest similarities were with crocodiles. Alligators are cold-blooded, their body temperature depends on the ambient temperature.

This means that their thermoregulation processes are very different from warm-blooded organisms. Observing the animals, scientists noticed that in cool weather alligators try to keep warm. Hot spots in the openings of the skull indicate an increase in temperature. When it gets warmer, the holes appear dark, as if they had been turned off to keep cool. This is consistent with previous evidence that alligators have, so to speak, an internal thermostat.

Previous studies have shown that the armored ankylosaurus had tunnels in the skull to preserve the brain at optimal temperatures. Based on this study, scientists can say that there are no osteological signs on the tyrannosaurus skull that indicate that fenestra were muscle attachment sites. They can conclude, based on modern alligators, that the fenestra could be used to control the temperature in the tyrannosaurus skull by heating or cooling the blood that flows through the blood vessels.