Los Angeles Natural History Museum: Dinosaurs VS Mammals Notes

Mammals
-Most species had similar, stocky body shape
-Many herbivores of the Miocene/Pilocene built for speed, as were their predators
-Endortherms/Homeotherms: Able to produce their own heat, but expend plenty of energy in the process
Dinosaurs
-Dinosaurs(and birds) have hollow hips
-Some dinosaurs(i.e. ornatmental ones like styracosaurus or triceratops) had heads up to 1/3 their total body size
-Dinosaurs could grow new teeth, be it carnivores, omnivores, or herbivores(compare to elephants, who die after going through their five sets of teeth)
-Walked on tiptoes
-Body temp? Warmer temperatures in ancient times meant less energy expended on internal heating, more on movement
-Ectotherms: heart + metabolism
-The larger the reptile/dinosaur, the easier time they had controlling their overall body temperature
-Dino bones very dense
-Primary producers(cycads, ferms, conifers, ginkos, etc) were abundant because of warmer temperatures/better conditions, meaning food was plentiful
-Warmer temperatures
-Higher oxygen levels meant faster growth(here's an interesting modern-day study w/ dragonflies)
-Birds(and presumably dinosaurs) have air sacs in addition to lungs, these facilitate breathing and expend less energy
Misc.
-Cope's Law--dinosaurs' sizes increased over the 135-odd million years they were dominant. Mammals did as well, although both succumbed(are succumbing?) to Boltman's Constant