[kaushikt]

> "An alligator's body heat depends on its environment," said Kent Vliet, coordinator of laboratories at the University of Florida's Department of Biology. "Therefore, we noticed when it was cooler and the alligators are trying to warm up, our thermal imaging showed big hot spots in these holes in the roof of their skull, indicating a rise in temperature. Yet, later in the day when it's warmer, the holes appear dark, like they were turned off to keep cool.

T.Rex seem to have similar holes filled with blood vessels.

Fascinating.

[jessaustin]

I think I understand what's being said, but taken literally it seems backwards? Body temperature probably was not regulated by dumping heat when the ambient temperature was cold. In those conditions heat should be conserved. Rather, heat is dumped (as much as possible) when the ambient temperature is warm.

Also, alligators are not usually considered homeothermic.

[im3w1l]

If I understand correctly, the alligator can choose to either pump blood to quickly equalize with the surrounding temperature, or not pump blood to get more isolation.

In the morning when it wanted to heat up after the night it pumped blood. In the afternoon when it was already warm enough and the ambient temperature was too warm, it stopped pumping blood.

[jessaustin]

Thanks, your way of stating it makes more sense to me. This sort of faculty would be used whenever the ambient temperature is closer to "optimal activity temperature" than the body is. Like you say, typically mid-morning when the environment has warmed up but the body hasn't. I suppose it could also work in the evening after a really hot day when it would be good to cool the body...

[homero]

Sounds like a heatsink