May 1, 2025
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What is the reason why today’s animals cannot grow as large as dinosaurs?

  • November 13, 2024
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In prehistoric times, dinosaurs were the planet’s hosts and dominated the world for tens of millions of years. Some were gigantic; the size of an airplane There were


In prehistoric times, dinosaurs were the planet’s hosts and dominated the world for tens of millions of years. Some were gigantic; the size of an airplane There were even people who could reach it. It’s scary to even imagine…

“Fortunately, there are no longer such large animals these days.” We may think, but never, “Why aren’t there such big animals today?” Have you thought?

It has something to do with his teeth.

Dinosaurs could adapt to different environments throughout their lives. Juveniles focused on smaller prey, while adults focused on larger prey. While you do this, just like sharks, They were exchanging teeth.

So on their way to growing into giant adults, they replaced their young teeth with larger weapons They were able to hunt larger meals to feed larger bodies.

Their body structures were also suitable for this.

Air sacs in the bones of dinosaurs made their skeletons lighter, allowing them to grow. Strong, flexible and lightweight They had a skeletal structure. This paved the way for them to continue to grow. Animals today don’t have such air sacs.

Their metabolism and energy needs were different.

Dinosaurs had a cheap metabolism that could meet their energy needs. On the other hand, mammals demand for energy higher. For example, the energy needs of elephants, enormous land mammals, are much higher than those of a dinosaur of the same size. This prevents the existence of giant land animals today.

Even the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere allowed dinosaurs to grow more.

In the Mesozoic era, when dinosaurs lived, thanks to the carbon dioxide content As plant life increased, so did oxygen levels. So there was plenty of food for dinosaurs and few predators.

That’s why animals like dinosaurs, insects and flying reptiles can grow bigger. today complex ecosystems and humans’ impact on the planet makes it difficult for large creatures to survive.

Modes of reproduction are our latest theory.

Large mammals in the modern world have long gestation periods that require significant expenditures on resources. Also because mothers have to carry a single embryo for a long time Their movements are limited and their vulnerability increases. The size of the birth canal prevents mammals from reaching very large sizes.

Dinosaurs, on the other hand, externalized their reproductive processes by laying eggs. They had a much better chance of survival. A typical dinosaur laid 6 to 10 eggs at a time, and baby dinosaurs grew quickly in an ecosystem with a great diversity of resources. Mothers did not have to contribute resources and energy to their offspring.

For all these reasons, today’s land animals never reaches the size of a dinosaur, At some point growth stops.

Sources: Live Science, Science ABC

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Source: Web Tekno

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