When we take a look at Earth’s prehistoric past, there’s one glaring commonly nearly all life had, and that was that they were much bigger. There were many factors that lead to life on the planet being so massive, including abundant resources. Here are some of the reasons why life was so large.
Higher Oxygen Levels
One of the main reasons why animals and plants were so much bigger was because of prehistoric Earth’s oxygen levels. Higher oxygen levels in the air enable life to grow bigger and have a faster metabolism and more energy.
Efficient Food Uptake
Food intake was another reason why so many animals were able to get so large. An example is sauropods, a prehistoric herbivore that had long necks, which allowed them to reach more food than many other animals.
Light Bones and Air Sacs
Certain evolutionary traits also allowed animals like Pterosaurs who would have been limited in size grow much larger. If it were not due to their extremely light bones and air sacs, they wouldn’t have been able to fly with such massive bodies. Some modern day birds, like the condor, are great examples of these evolutionary traits being passed down.
Fewer Predators
Larger animals would have had fewer predators that were able to hunt them as they would have been able to fend them off. These predators would have stunted their population and overall size. These animals would have been able to have long lives and reach their maximum size.
Cope’s Rule
Cope’s rule could be another reason why animals were large during prehistoric times. Cope’s rule is the trend for organisms in a lineage to keep growing bigger and bigger. This is because being larger gives each generation an advantage, so it tends to keep happening.
Climate
Prehistoric animals in colder climates would have also grown massively, compounding on their already large size. This trend can be seen in modern day polar bears, which are larger than any other bear species. Cold blooded animals, like dinosaurs, would also grow larger in warm climates to avoid overheating.
Reptilian Physiology
Reptiles have unique features that allow them to grow larger than average. These traits are pneumatic skeletons and an efficient breathing cycle despite their large sizes when compared to mammals which would have a much harder time at such a size.
Longer Digestive Tracts
Certain herbivore dinosaurs could get the best out of their food by having long digestive tracks. This meant that they would absorb the most amount of nutrients possible through the breaking down of food.
Examples
An example of the prehistoric planet making large animals at its limites is the titanosaur. A titanosaur skeleton found in Patagonia suggests some dinosaurs were truly colossal. This long-necked herbivore could be one of the largest sauropods ever found. It measured up to 122 feet long and is an amazing example of just how big prehistoric animals could get.
Giant Crocodilians
Giant crocodilians are another example of huge prehistoric animals. Species like Sarcosuchus and Purussaurus reached massive sizes. They were about 40 feet in length. Purussaurus may have weighed 9.5 tons.
Evolutionary Advantages
Larger animals compete better for resources. They are also less vulnerable to predators. These advantages drove the evolution of giant sizes in prehistoric times.
A Different World
In summary, Prehistoric animals grew to massive sizes due to a combination of factors. Higher oxygen levels, efficient eating, and fewer predators all played a role. More evidence contributing to their massive size could be uncovered and studied to help us understand these giants.
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