Dinosaurs did not hibernate to survive through frigid Antarctic winters

Dinosaurs that lived near the South Pole in complete darkness and extreme cold for up to six months at a time, had a similar physiology with those living everywhere else on Earth, according to a new research.

A previous study of polar dinosaurs had suggested that some hibernated during the coldest part of the year, a behavior that would have differentiated them from most of their relatives.

But bone analysis studied from dinosaurs that once lived in the Antarctic Circle suggests that the animals did not hibernate.

“Maybe these dinosaurs were already adapted from their ancestors to be able to survive in all kinds of conditions,” Discovery News quoted Montana State University graduate student Holly Woodward as telling FoxNews.com.

“Maybe they had insulation covering them, but you really can't tell. All we can tell is that their physiology was basically the same as any other dinosaur," she added.

The study was recently published in the journal PLoS ONE.