SwimModSponges Posted February 24, 2020 Posted February 24, 2020 Therefore monotremes should theoretically be the most likely branch of mammals to evolve to giant sizes. Maybe marsupials.
GaiusIuliusCaesar Posted February 24, 2020 Posted February 24, 2020 (edited) we're also warm blooded, that consumes a lot of energy we could just use to grow bigger. Dinosaurs were mesotherms so they could turn that off and on as needed. Oh and we are limited in the number of neck bones we are allowed to have, so we can't get past Giraffe size in terms of length. Edited February 24, 2020 by GaiusIuliusCaesar
RainyDayJizz#35 Posted February 24, 2020 Posted February 24, 2020 Is that even accepted? In times of food scarcity a large animal is at an evolutionary disadvantage would be a bigger reason animals aren't generally that large, I would think.
SwimModSponges Posted February 24, 2020 Author Posted February 24, 2020 6 minutes ago, GaiusIuliusCaesar said: we're also warm blooded, that consumes a lot of energy we could just use to grow bigger. Dinosaurs were mesotherms so they could turn that off and on as needed. Oh and we are limited in the number of neck bones we are allowed to have, so we can't get past Giraffe size in terms of length. Goddamnit you're right, forgot about the vertebrae thing. 5 minutes ago, GreatBallsOfJizz said: Is that even accepted? In times of food scarcity a large animal is at an evolutionary disadvantage would be a bigger reason animals aren't generally that large, I would think. Eh, I mean I don't think food scarcity is that big of a deal breaker, should be plenty enough food out there if you're adapted to it.
RainyDayJizz#35 Posted February 24, 2020 Posted February 24, 2020 Well when 80% of your food source is gone and not coming back for decades or centuries and you're 40 feet tall I think scarcity could be an issue. Not in the mood to get into the nuances of all that, keeping this perpetually tired woman company in bed.
Seight Posted February 25, 2020 Posted February 25, 2020 6 hours ago, SwimModSponges said: But platypus lay eggs. Well, there's a simple explanation for that. Australia.
nameraka Posted February 25, 2020 Posted February 25, 2020 https://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/nov/04/giant-carnivorous-platypus-surprise-for-scientists
SwimModSponges Posted February 26, 2020 Author Posted February 26, 2020 Well yeah but we're not going to have giant platipodes in the next decade of course, I'm talking after millions of years of evolution. How about that?
Lasty Posted February 29, 2020 Posted February 29, 2020 It would be less resource intensive to go pygmy.
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