The first known warm-blooded lizard, the tegu, can heat itself to as much as 10 degrees C above its surroundings – making it unique among reptiles. Bizarrely, it only switches on its heating system at certain times of the year. The discovery may add to the debate about whether dinosaurs were warm- or cold-blooded, or something in between – a bit like these lizards.
According to Brock University’s Glenn Tattersall, it may also provide a clue to how warm-bloodedness, or endothermy, first evolved. Read the full article here
