Gigantothermy

Gigantothermy is the maintenance of relatively stable body temperature by large ectotherms. Their low surface-area-to-volume ratio slows heat gain and loss.

Surface-area-to-volume ratio: The ratio of an object's surface area to its volume, which influences exchange with its surroundings. As body size increases, less surface area is available per unit volume for heat exchange.
Leatherback sea turtle: The largest living sea turtle, capable of maintaining body temperatures above surrounding water in some conditions. Its large body and insulation help retain metabolic and environmental heat while it swims in cold water.
Endothermy: A mode of thermoregulation in which metabolic heat production helps maintain body temperature. It achieves temperature stability through internal heat production rather than body size alone.
Dinosaur thermophysiology: The study of how dinosaurs regulated body temperature and responded to environmental heat. Gigantothermy is one proposed explanation for temperature stability in large dinosaurs.
Thermal inertia: Resistance to temperature change arising from the heat capacity of a body and the rate of heat transfer. Large bodies change temperature slowly, producing the stability described by gigantothermy.
Green sea turtle: A large marine turtle that relies on environmental heat and behavioral thermoregulation. Its body size illustrates how a large ectotherm can buffer short-term temperature changes.
Regional endothermy: The maintenance of elevated temperatures in selected body regions by some fishes and other animals. It can warm muscles or organs without relying on whole-body thermal inertia.
Dinosaur growth rates: The rates at which dinosaurs grew, inferred chiefly from fossil bone tissues and growth patterns. Rapid growth can generate metabolic heat that complicates size-only explanations of dinosaur temperatures.
Heat capacity: The amount of heat required to raise a substance's temperature by a given amount. A large body stores substantial heat, slowing its response to environmental temperature shifts.
Great white shark: A large predatory shark that keeps parts of its body warmer than surrounding water through regional endothermy. Its active heat production distinguishes regional endothermy from size-based thermal stability.

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