Have movies and most conventional paleontologists got it all wrong? T. rex and other theropod dinosaurs (the meat-eaters) are often portrayed as intelligent predators that can outmuscle and outsmart their opponents. But is that really supported by science?

A recent study of dinosaur sizes claims to break Bergmann’s rule.¹ Bergmann’s rule was named after biologist Carl Bergmann, who in 1847 noticed that warm-blooded animals tended to be larger in cold climates compared to the same animal in a warm climate. Larger body mass tends to help an animal retain more heat, helping animals survive in the cold.