What did Bakker study?

Robert Thomas Bakker (born March 24, 1945) is an American paleontologist who helped reshape modern theories about dinosaurs, particularly by adding support to the theory that some dinosaurs were endothermic (warm-blooded). He published his first paper on dinosaur endothermy in 1968.

Why was the discovery of Deinonychus so important?

“The discovery of Deinonychus not only reshaped our understanding of dinosaurs, it recalibrated how we understand evolution. Darwin’s notion of steady, gradual change had led scientists to believe that dinosaurs must have been quite primitive in their behavior and cognitive ability.

What started the dinosaur renaissance?

It was sparked by new discoveries and research indicating that dinosaurs may have been active and warm-blooded animals, rather than cold-blooded and sluggish as had been the prevailing view and description during the first half of the twentieth century.

Why do some scientists believe that dinosaurs were warm-blooded?

Some paleontologists think that all dinosaurs were ‘warm-blooded’ in the same sense that modern birds and mammals are: that is, they had rapid metabolic rates. Some scientists think that very big dinosaurs could have had warm bodies because of their large body size, just as some sea turtles do today.

Where did Robert Bakker do most of his work?

Most of his field work has been accomplished in Wyoming at Como Bluff and in many other parts of North America and selected sites around the world. His early work was that of scientific illustrator, a skill he incorporated into perhaps his best known work, “The Dinosaur Heresies,” published in 1986.

How did Robert Bakker contribute to the Dinosaur Renaissance?

Along with his mentor John Ostrom, Bakker was responsible for initiating the ongoing ” dinosaur renaissance ” in paleontological studies, beginning with Bakker’s article “Dinosaur Renaissance” in the April 1975 issue of Scientific American. His special field is the ecological context and behavior of dinosaurs .

When did Robert Bakker publish his first paper?

Bakker has been a major proponent of the theory that dinosaurs were warm-blooded, smart, fast, and adaptable. He published his first paper on dinosaur endothermy in 1968. His seminal work, The Dinosaur Heresies, was published in 1986.

What kind of metabolism did Robert Bakker have?

Although Bakker is known for stating his views forcefully, not all of his fellow scientists are convinced, some of them suggesting that dinosaurs may have had “intermediate” or “homeothermic” metabolisms rather than being strictly warm- or cold-blooded.