Thread: How did the biggest dinosaurs get so big?

I love the field of archaeology and ran across this today. Thought some of you might find it interesting. I found it particularly insightful especially in terms of natural selection. Necks question... how did the biggest dinosaurs get so big?

it's a good question really
there must be something in there about growth patterns (i.e. some animals stop growing on reaching adulthood and others don't), about required food intake which relate to metabolism - very indicative is that Paraceratherium, the largest mammal, and therefore warm-blooded in the mammal-sense does not get anywhere sauropod proportions - and possibly climatic conditions (is there anything about hot arid climates that affects size ?)

beyond that it's more questions than answers really, and some tantalising but inconclusive hints

Originally Posted by marnixR

it's a good question really
there must be something in there about growth patterns (i.e. some animals stop growing on reaching adulthood and others don't), about required food intake which relate to metabolism - very indicative is that Paraceratherium, the largest mammal, and therefore warm-blooded in the mammal-sense does not get anywhere sauropod proportions - and possibly climatic conditions (is there anything about hot arid climates that affects size ?)

beyond that it's more questions than answers really, and some tantalising but inconclusive hints

Yes, agreed. It is an interesting article, when you think about it too in terms of natural selection. While improbable, I thought that it was somewhat curious that the earth's gravity was tossed into the hat, as a possible reason for the mammoth size of some dinosaurs. That didn't make any sense to me, haha.