All articles tagged with #gigantism
Scientists discovered fossils of giant anacondas in Venezuela, revealing they reached about 5.2 meters in length around 12.4 million years ago, and surprisingly, their size has remained unchanged since then, despite climate changes and other reptiles evolving differently. The findings shed light on the evolution and persistence of these massive snakes in South America.
Prehistoric animals, especially dinosaurs, achieved enormous sizes due to evolutionary adaptations like hollow bones and efficient respiratory systems, with giants like the blue whale and Argentinosaurus exemplifying this trend. While larger size offers advantages such as better defense and diet variety, it also comes with risks like higher extinction vulnerability. The trend towards gigantism is supported by theories like Cope's Rule, but not universally accepted. Today, large animals are fewer, partly due to human impact and climate change, raising concerns about future megafauna.