Dinosaur Farts and burps caused global warming

[InRareForm]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303630404577390042359268690.html?m od=e2tw

[Wild Cobra]

Speculation that a dinosaur's digestive system is like the mammals of today?

[InRareForm]

update:

http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2012/05/07/the-reports-of-dinosaurs-dying-of-farts-are-greatly-exaggerated/

[Wild Cobra]

Best update:

Could methane produced by sauropod dinosaurs have helped drive Mesozoic climate warmth? (http://download.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/PIIS0960982212003296.pdf?intermediate=true)

[DarrinS]

Thought this might be from The Onion. Even more hilarious that it is serious.

[boutons_deux]

WSJ, a Murdoch/UCA/financial-sector cheerleader/propagandist, is always to be doubted.

[DarrinS]

WSJ, a Murdoch/UCA/financial-sector cheerleader/propagandist, is always to be doubted.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57429334/dinosaur-farts-may-have-warmed-prehistoric-earth/

[TeyshaBlue]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/17953792

Damn...that Murdoch controls everybody!

[MannyIsGod]

Its an interesting theory. Cretaceous warming is a strong subject of debate right now because even at very high CO2 concentrations you see warmth in that time that is very difficult to explain. The sun was dimmer and had a reduced output at that time which only adds to the questions.

I know very little about the paleontology of that (or any) period so I can't comment on how good these estimates are (although I gather that even the scientists making them admit to making some large assumptions) but given that cattle and land animals today make up huge contributions to the methane budget I don't find any reason to dismiss the idea out of hand.

[Wild Cobra]

Its an interesting theory. Cretaceous warming is a strong subject of debate right now because even at very high CO2 concentrations you see warmth in that time that is very difficult to explain. The sun was dimmer and had a reduced output at that time which only adds to the questions.

I know very little about the paleontology of that (or any) period so I can't comment on how good these estimates are (although I gather that even the scientists making them admit to making some large assumptions) but given that cattle and land animals today make up huge contributions to the methane budget I don't find any reason to dismiss the idea out of hand.
Well, if you read the PDF I linked, at least the wording is acceptable. They make no hard claims. Just possibilities.

Was the sun dimmer, or is that an assumption? I won't claim to know either, but there are too many variables anyway, that far back, that would be impossible to know. We really don't know the orbit of the earth then. Maybe we were closer. Maybe somehow the atmosphere was denser, and some solar incident and/or loss of magnetic field allowed the solar winds to carry some of it away. We can only speculate.

[MannyIsGod]

We don't know the orbit of the earth back then? Really? You won't claim to know either way then you'll claim to know things that you are completely wrong about?

SMH

[MannyIsGod]

We don't know the orbit of the earth back then? Really? You won't claim to know either way then you'll claim to know things that you are completely wrong about?

SMH