How Did Dinosaurs Get So Huge?

[@crispybacon4240]

I find it amazing the same adaptations enabled both the existence of super-massive dinos and for _tiny_ birds to be light enough to fly.

[@michealtaylor7745]

Tiny pterosaurs were also light enough to fly, mind you, giant pterosaurs flew too so why not giant birds ? Answer = You don't know.

[@thefran901]

@@michealtaylor7745 Well there are some differences between pterosaurs and birds. A hypothesis is that birds, with their anatomy, would have no problem in getting that big and being able to fly, but unlike pterosaurs, they would have problems in the taking off the flight part. Said hypothesis claims that pterosaurs used their four limbs to propel themselves off the ground, which would be far more efficient than the way birds do it, with only their hind limbs. It's all speculative of course, I don't think there's a consensus on why no bird got that huge.

[@colinfrederick2603]

@@thefran901 I’d wager it may be related to the molecular content of the air. I know way back in the day there used to be higher oxygen levels, which enabled giant insects. Perhaps something like that helped Pterosaurs? Or it simply could be that prey was larger since *everything* seems to be larger in the dino era. When that’s the case, larger size is effective since calorie restrictions of small prey don’t hold you back.

[@ericparnell4628]

if we only had skeletons of humpback Wales it would probably be hard to imagine they really existed but they do and we can see vids of then so its not hard to belive it...

[@JubioHDX]

@@colinfrederick2603 i think the huge insects were probably a huge factor in the big dinos, not something ive ever really heard because theres probably proof against it that i dont know of but when SO many birds today rely on relentlessly hunting insects i dont think its too much of a stretch to say that their explosive increase in size from high oxygen levels may have helped influence the maximum size that their primary hunters would have as well, i mean a chicken with some bugs and worms at its feet is pretty much still a t rex level threat in the bugs eyes and if many other larger theropods that didnt turn into birds still hunted these supersized insects (at least earlier in life, because remember dinos start small and grew explosively. I even have heard theories that t rex arms specifically were likely very useful in the dinos youth until they would be unneeded by adulthood)

[@ThePhilosorpheus]

yeah but when they lived, they lived for millions upon millions of years, much more than the amount of time humans have existed, so it WAS a very successful adaptation

[@DaDunge]

Dinosaur wasn't a species it's a clade, comparable to a class, which means it's like saying mammals. And dinosaurs and mammals evolved around the same time and are both still around so we score the same there. But supersized species, mammal or dinosaur, aren't meaning that he's right it's probably not the best adaptation.

Fredrik Dunge no But the big Dinos lived for millions of years

[@thiccboi5877]

Bob Pickleson I’m pretty sure you don’t have enough brain cells to understand what Fredrik is talking about.

[@NarfSideOfLife]

Indeed, sauropods existed for most of the jurassic AND the cretaceous periods (if not all of cretaceous? very late into it anyway), which is a huge chunk of time. There must have been advantages to their body plan. I think I heard somewhere that a larger body is more efficient when it comes to energy economy, so could be that the mesozoic environment along with their unique anatomic solutions to becoming giants on earth was an actually beautiful evolutionary combination?

[@debkalpapal2682]

Dinosaurs ate Complan

[@pragmatictrespasser5274]

Maybe with VR/AR we would soon be able to imagine these giants. I am fascinated by this thought. 🙂

[@crossroads8370]

Imagine AR being able to walk outside of your house and turning on some realistic dinosaur program on your AR glasses and selecting from multiple different dinosaurs and setting them near your house or near a large tree just to watch them walk around at their true size compared to real life objects just to get a realistic size comparison to yourself and to any other object around you. Now that would be awesome to experience! Say you have a open field near a large forest or one large tree that's by itself and placing down a brachiosaurus near it and walking back 30 yards and sitting down to watch it roam around near that object. It would be like really experiencing a true life sized dinosaur in your own backyard anytime you want or I should say your own Jurassic Park. I know they have AR dinosaur games and such but none that make the dinosaurs to their true sizes or how they really looked in real life but I can see this happening some day while we are still alive.

[@greghawkins59]

That would be amazing to see

[@deanwilson9094]

We'd be able to go to class in a vr room.

[@wisemankugelmemicus1701]

Are you fascinated by actual dinosaurs or Jurassic Park dinosaurs?

[@winters-ghost89]

@@wisemankugelmemicus1701 exactly if ur Trex don't have feathers don't talk to me haha

[@lindenshepherd6085]

I’m gonna use the evolutionary argument of “bigger isn’t always better” when people ask about my chest size.

[@satsat247]

@@Flying-Dolphin *PERVERT* *ALERT*

[@boogathon]

@@satsat247 Why is he a perv for appreciating boobies? And I happen to like 'em size A or B. That's what makes a market, eh?

[@meucantogames6952]

I use the "to keep predators away" excuse

[@hijodelaisla275]

People who ask about your chest size don't deserve any response other than a slap.

[@strongman5243]

Lol

[@UltimateVegetto]

Hm, I'm sure you weren't implying that, but the ending sort of sounded like you assume that large dinosaurs weren't successful because they're extinct. I mean, the sauropods (just the most stereotypical group of large dinosaurs) existed for roughly 140 million years and it took one of the largest extinction events in earth's history to change that. That's pretty successful in my book.

[@woodforbrains9383]

+1

[@bryanc7847]

Now taking bets on humans existing 140 million years.

[@NotShowingOff]

Bryan C sauropods aren’t a species, I think they are a family. So therefore, humans as a family existed since “Lucy”.

[@cristhianramirez6939]

But this large dinosaurs didn't go to the moon or invented the Internet Humans: 1 Dinosaurs: 0

[@janpersson9818]

Cristhian Ramirez It may be unlikely but how do you know for sure?

[@mattpurvis927]

HOW DID THE DINOSAURS GET SO BIG? ANSWER: they ate their vegetables.

[@craiga2002]

And each other.

[@petermitchell6348]

Too much MacDonalds

[@Ian_sothejokeworks]

It's the Earth that got small.

[@mattpurvis927]

@@Ian_sothejokeworks - Is that a Sunset Blvd reference?

[@rhump01]

Better oxygen on earth at the time everything was pure during that time period .

[@CupcakeofEmotions]

Are we gonna ignore the fact Hank Green is 6'6"

[@meatbot8759]

That’s what I’m saying

[@RaMeNoodles7]

i never knew this until now

[@tuanboy1407]

Muscle Hank incoming, tbh with that kind of height he would have a great chance becoming a strongman :D

[@briantannenbaum8110]

Mans messing with the wrong raptors🤦‍♂️

[@spockskynet]

He did say "about". I think someone might've been rounding up.

[@mylifefornick]

My new favorite KZbin channel to watch before bed.

[@FirstnameLastname-xh9gd]

Can we all just say life is both scary and beautiful. To know that these miraculous creatures once roamed this very earth we step on. Just insane. ❤️

[@estergrant6713]

dinosaurs looking in from the timeless dimension they escaped to: “damn whyd life get so small?”

[@pointyorb]

dino heaven?

[@DarkZtorm]

Remember back in high school, we were doing a group project for biology. I brought this question up and everyone laughed at me. I was confused and they kept laughed at me and I never got an explenation. I still don't get it, I thought it was the most interesting and obvious question about Dinosaurs but it are very rare explained properly. So I love this video because of it.

[@ShnNar1000x]

I've asked this question too. Another factor that the video does not go into is just time. The dinosaurs were around for hundreds of millions of years and had the chance to just evolve larger and larger bodies.

[@show_me_your_kitties]

😒

[@RC-hi5sj]

Those who laughed.... 🤦

[@gardeniagorgeous4232]

Man eff those close-minded classmates. Your question was important enough that a whole @$$ YT video was made on it 😏😏😏 One time I asked a pregnant lady how long it took to get pregnant, and my 8 year old brain couldn’t put into words what I meant, so she thought I was being rude. No ma’am I was interested in how long egg fertilization and those multiple splits took to form the beginnings of a fetus. 😤

[@alicorntrash1262]

Cant imagine being pregnant for 2 years

[@hiimryan2388]

You can... It just isn't pleasant

[@russ8676]

Elephants also carry their baby for almost 2 years

[@ntl5983]

Your great grandmas were pregnant for pretty much 20 straight years of their lives.

[@alicorntrash1262]

@@ntl5983 Can't imagine that either

[@alicorntrash1262]

@X V I refuse

[@FlakeTillman]

I’ve heard that the air sacs in the bones was an evolutionary development meant to deal with the thin air of the Triassic period. So perhaps as the air grew more dense and oxygen rich dinosaurs were able to develop much larger than animals today due to their inherent advantage in aerobic capacity.

[@akulaa4853]

Question.- How did Dinosaurs get to be so huge? Answer- They were greedy bastards

[@Yugvijay]

Sthaapph 😹

[@atdynax]

Did they answer the question? That they grew so large because there was more oxygen in the atmosphere and they never stopped growing.

[@teebes2009]

Or perhaps due to their air sack breathing system they could extract more oxygen from the air; an advantage birds have today. Also I've heard that this was the reason miner's used to keep birds in the mine; if the bird keeled over you knew the air was poisonous. OTOH, too much oxygen in the air can result in explosive wild fires, which is a constraint.

[@atdynax]

@@teebes2009 Animals were bigger in general in the past. When the amount of oxygen depleted to todays level they also became smaller. Or is it Co2 that governs the size because that depleted also.

[@robinsonray6766]

@@teebes2009 you're wrong, oxygen levels were lower back then

[@robinsonray6766]

@@atdynax youre also wrong, oxygen levels were lower back then.

[@mavrick1175]

To put in in kinder terms then @Robinson Ray did, the theory that higher oxygen levels helped lead to gigantism in Dinosaurs, as it did during Carboniferous with arthropods such as Meganeura, has been since debunked as amber analysis' have since shown the oxygen levels of the Mesozoic were likely lower than that of modern day levels. So the theory doesn't hold up.

[@RoccosVideos]

Probably the same reason I’m getting huge, lots of food.

[@sleepy314]

Don't forget couch time!

[@samuelfugatt9068]

Michael B yep

[@monstercolorfunco4391]

dinosaurs got big because of oprah.

[@BertGrink]

Michael B I was thinking the same, even before i started watching the video, but i also think that another factor should be considered: Back then, the oxygen levels in the air was a lot higher than it is today; over 30% vs. today's just over 20%. More oxygen may have resulted in a much higher metabolism, which - or so i believe - may have helped them grow this lage. Case in point: ancient insects were equally huge, e.g. the dragonflies with a wingspan of up to 75 cm (around 2.5 feet), and we *know* that it was the high oxygen level that allowed those insects to grow so large.

[@hypnoswede7943]

You're not so big.

[@fizzplease6742]

Is there enough to say about the animals that almost haven't changed at all in millions of years to do a video on those? Sharks, crocodiles, turtles, worms and stuff. They get called "primitive" often because they haven't changed, as if that's a bad thing. But honestly they should just be called "amazingly successful".

[@maxjenkinson9870]

They have changed... a lot I never understand why people say this 😂

[@HuckleberryHim]

Modern crocodilians are actually younger than mammals. I agree with Max; most taxa do evolve persistently even if it doesn't superficially appear to be the case, but with these taxa, it is very obvious. All the taxa you name (though I don't know as much about "worms") have evolved dramatically, and their fossils represent lots of diversity as well as clear innovations at certain times, like the ability to retract the head in certain turtles.

[@westerndigs6025]

You should sit tight then, because we have an episode coming up that'll scratch that itch!

[@LimeyLassen]

Some of the most well adapted creatures on earth are very primitive. Change isn't always a good thing!

[@LittleIslander100]

The confusion with crocodilians is the existence of superficially crocodile-like creatures (such as phytosaurs and proterochampsians) since the Triassic. Additionally, croc-line archosaurs go back a similar amount of time, even if many didn't look like modern crocs. Being fair, goniopholids were fairly croc-like pseudosuchians that go back to the Early Jurassic.

[@jackee-is-silent2938]

The extreme range of growth of dinosaurs means they actually occupied different ecological niches as they grew up, while smaller animals including other reptiles, birds, and mammals really occupy the same niche lifelone. I think this helped to drive them to extinction during the K-T event. If momentary changes were bad enough for any of their niches during growth, there'd be enough pressure to end such species.

[@Sara3346]

I guess that explains why amphibians are doing so badly right now with disasters affecting entire ecosystems the fact that they occupy multiple niches per species can be a really nasty thing for them.

[@steveng4211]

Blue whales and giant sauropods do have one evolutionary trait in common. They take advantage of density hacks to grow massive

[@vampyricon7026]

+

[@Derek_Watts]

Or maybe the rest of us take advantage of density hacks to stay compact...

[@Bogglemanify]

These density hacks were patched a few updates ago and is why the dinosaurs died.

[@nguyenpham3593]

must have been ^^vvBA

[@democratie_et_esprit_critique]

The end of the video lacks something : it’s definitly an advantage to get bigger, to escape and disuade your predators. BUT it goes with eating a lot, and this turn to be an disadvantage if the climate goes wrong.

[@roddo1955]

Sooo being as large as a sauropod is advantageous until it isn't.

[@7judas77]

Un monde parfait also the lack of toilet paper...

[@paulspring]

Notice how the explanation for the supposed air pockets isn't because anyone ever found one, but because holes have been found in some of the bones... and birds have them... so #science! hah!

[@ShutoStriker]

@@roddo1955 When you're that massive needing to consume tons of plant matter daily, and then the plants become limited or die off. You would certainly be at a disadvantage compared to smaller meat eaters like a T-Rex yes.

[@roddo1955]

@@ShutoStriker yeah. The original poster already explained that. I got it the first time but, thank you!😉

[@Escapism-for-everybody]

"How Did Dinosaurs Get So Huge" 4:44 = Thats what i wanted to know

[@josemeza7128]

Because the moon was closer to earth, and the gravity was different, everything was bigger millions of years ago

[@13wayz70]

Jose Meza the moon don’t move bro

[@bloodbath_angel3017]

Jose Meza you mean OXYGEN? Not Gravity

[@BroBuster]

@@13wayz70 Yes it does.

[@13wayz70]

BroBuster shi you right

[@358itachi]

I liked the "Full disclosure: The Baby dinosaurs are not real" @2:36

[@vickiatabi4235]

Caught my eye, too☑️ You have to be so careful with your Words!!!

[@guesswho6955]

They listened to their grandmas.

[@kross777rlsh9]

EAT YOUR VEGIES ?

[@richbum3725]

@@kross777rlsh9 treestars bro

[@jacobmortimore]

You forgot to mention that the atmosphere contained more oxygen back then, therefore everything could grow larger

[@houlaststand8100]

oxygen level: 10(pre-Cambrian)-25(Cambrian explosion)-21(current)

[@jacobmortimore]

@@trvth1s i bet they got bad arthritis because they were so heavy

[@alejandrosanchez9258]

Is it real?

[@bartbart3992]

THATS WHAT I WAS THINKING!!

[@sharmac2504]

that's a theory with zero evidence

[@mycoffeemyday]

You had me at "gestation periods longer than some other creatures live" Funny

[@tristanstock4836]

1) Patagotitan isn't the biggest known dinosaur. The largest known specimen of Patagotitan has a 59cm dorsal centrum and a femur 110cm in circumference; the holotype Argentinosaurus meanwhile has a 60cm dorsal centrum and another specimen's femur was 118cm in circumference. So yeah, Argentinosaurus is bigger, but granted the difference is by only a tiny amount. Source: svpow.com/2017/08/09/dont-believe-the-hype-patagotitan-was-not-bigger-than-argentinosaurus/ 2) Air sacs and hollow bones don't make an animal lighter for their size, and in fact bird bones often out-weigh mammal bones at similar sizes. This has been known since the the 1980s at least, and whole papers have been published on the topic. What air sacs do instead is allow the bones to increase in diameter with the same amount of bony building blocks, which gives muscles and soft tissues more area to attach to. So yeah, it does help dinosaurs get bigger, but not in the way you're saying. Source: rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/277/1691/2193 3) Ornithischians might have air sacs like other dinosaurs (and given the fact pterosaurs and some archosauromorphs have them we might expect it's ancestral to archosaurs as a whole), it just seems like they didn't have the air sacs extend into the bony parts of the anatomy. In fact preliminary work has shown that heterodontosaurids (the most primitive ornithischian group according to most recent phylogenies) show pneumaticity in their skulls, so at the very least ornithischians definitely had some kind of air sac system going on in at least in their most basal forms. Other than that, really good video. Keep up the good work guys.

[@shakesmctremens178]

How does the Pythagasaur compare?

[@LuigiG145]

Oh, hey, Tristan.

[@viggenzz]

you must be fun at parties

[@-cosmicrogue-]

Thanks for the info :)

[@Luca-mv9vd]

From the link you provided: "Given a bird bone and a mammal bone of the same length, the bird bone is almost always lighter", i would like to know where you read the opposite.

[@TAMAIMCJE]

How arrogant to attach the adjective of unsuccessful to dinosaurs for having existed 140.000.000 years, coming from those who have only existed for less than 100.000, go figure

[@northropi2027]

To be fair, dinosaurs *collectively* existed for that long, humans *alone* have existed for far less. There's a severe disparity in phylogenetic levels there. We'd need to go a few levels of classification broader than humans.

[@DoofusMonkey]

Yeah, this. It took us

[@jerkchicken_expertlyseasoned]

@@DoofusMonkey And yet here we are about to poison our own biosphere and potentially doom our own civilization. When we're gone we'll have lasted a tiny fraction of their tenure.

[@DoofusMonkey]

@@jerkchicken_expertlyseasoned Nah mate don't worry about that. Climate change is real, a lot of people are gonna die because of it, but we'll adapt and overcome.

[@dubstepXpower]

@@jerkchicken_expertlyseasoned plenty of species have and do do similiar things, we re not unique in this. Look up cyanobacteria and the oxygen mass extinction.

[@FusRoDah2]

I love this guys voice and his ability to communicate information. I've seen him on Sci-Show Space as well.

[@valobrien9596]

His voice is fine, but I find he speaks too quickly, which for me makes it a bit more difficult to absorb the information. Had to play this a second time, on ¾ speed.

[@PressEnter42]

What if it was like an arms race. Similar to trees. Trees use a ton of energy and time and resources to get so big. Why? Because other trees get big. So they go back and forth trying to get bigger and bigger to get more sunlight compared to the other trees around them.

[@spiderplant]

As a lad they ate 5 dozen eggs each day to help them get large.

[@romanis6660]

So what makes it stop?

[@joedirt3563]

@@romanis6660 gravity probably.

[@electrum310]

At the end of the eons video I thought we don’t really know. I presume the huge size of dinosaures had been evolutionary selected until the 65 million years ago massive extinction. Dinos might have some specific sequences of growth factor genes that play a role in morphology. While human grow in their childhood a mechanism may finally stop the height uptake. Dino might not have such mechanism. In addition, is it known what was their life expectancy ? The huge dinos might have been very old ones. I agree the bigger is not the better. What matters is to fit with environment.

[@GlenHunt]

So, if the air sacs were connected to their lungs, and if they had a lung infection and coughed too hard, would they blow dino boogers into their bones? Maybe they died out because of sheer grossness.

[@kennethsatria6607]

Boogers stay in the nose though

[@samrizzardi2213]

Considering birds have air sacs and they don't have that problem, I'd say no

[@skybattler2624]

sam rizzardi and add to the fact that those boogers require hair in the inside... Which birds lack and, theoretically, also do those dinos... However, that also makes them highly vulnerable to respiratory diseases... Just look at the modern day chicken... Most respiratory diseases either kills them or permanently impairs their capacity to breath air

[@oldi184]

Planet Earth was smaller many many millions of years ago and this means lower gravity. Thats why they grow so big. Dinos would not be able to exists now with current gravity.

[@ivyme5783]

oldi184 lol you have no idea how wrong you are

[@caitlinbauer8443]

Please do a video on the evolution of cetaceans

[@Golfbob]

Mr. Meeseeks I agree

[@simonk.4338]

Mr. Meeseeks that would be nice, i agree

[@frenzyXprime]

Mr. Meeseeks +

[@johnarbuckle2619]

Yes

[@insectilluminatigetshrekt5574]

LOOK AT ME

[@Victor-kt6qn]

"Bigger is not always better " Tell that to my girlfriend.

[@boogathon]

I did!

[@Daniel_WR_Hart]

Even a dagger is a dangerous weapon in the hands of a skilled ninja

[@javadabaron81]

Daniel W. R. Hart 😂🤣

[@jaisanatanrashtra7035]

@@Daniel_WR_Hart a Swiss knife in the hands of a military man 👍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@TheGuruNetOn]

Pen is mightier than sword?!! 🙃

[@AlqGo]

Years ago, I watched a documentary and one of theories was that Earth had 20% more oxygen when Dinasours were still alive than today.

[@Tutku35]

yep I remember too, as more oxygen can allow a creature to grow bigger.

[@RinsedCheeks]

I’m not sure if it was as much as a factor for dinosaurs as it was for insects from the time… I could be wrong though.

[@stestar09]

This is cool and we get different narrators too. all perfect in how they tell the story 👍🏻

[@rafaelbrgnr]

"bigger isn't always better" is what I say to myself to feel better.

[@classix789]

I really understand these jurassic park guys 😅 I would do anything to see these amazing creatures walk on the earths surface.. Such dimensions sound so hard to believe.

[@stephencastro4723]

Some paleontologists said that the growth of giant dinosaurs had to do with the warm climate during the Jurassic and Cretaceous. The warm climate means that dinosaurs did not need to eat much to be energized. They rely more on the warm climate to stay warm and energized. With that said, the food they consumed could be used with to something else other than energy. The food could be used for growth instead.

[@harrymcnicholas9468]

We still have warm climates. See any giant reptiles?

[@namefake4131]

My simple theory is they never stopped growing, much like many reptiles today, the biggest crocs for example are also the oldest.

[@light7588]

trvth1s reptiles never stop growing but their growth rate slows down

[@carno.5911]

@@riccardozorzetto False. and also birds are raptiles cladisticly

[@lastsilhouette85]

Cuz they ate their veggies duh!

[@PeanutNougatine]

I'm in love with this comment

[@hamstsorkxxor]

nope, no grass in the mesozoic, grasses first showed up about 35 million years ago. Before then, ferns were the primary ground covering plants.

[@azmanabdula]

A world without grass, would have been swampy or dry.... Doesnt sound very good now i think about it....

[@HuckleberryHim]

Your first error was that they ate grasses; someone corrected you on that. Your second error is assuming carbs cause weight gain. It is well established that de novo lipogenesis (the process by which carbs would cause weight gain) is a rare and difficult metabolic process compared to fat storage from dietary fats. As conventional wisdom holds, you get fat by eating fat.

[@PeanutNougatine]

Such a lovely and innocent comment and you guys ruin it talking about boring grass

[@thersten]

Can we all agree the PBS Digital Studios is awesome.

[@eons]

Yes. Yes we can. (BdeP)

[@sverrg]

@@eons I thought so until the dude in the video said mammals never got as big as dinosaurs. There is such a thing as a blue whale and a tool known as "GOOGLE" which could have told him that

[@joze838]

Finally stuff from my lab! :) I am so excited!

[@LightnessOfTheLife]

this guys seems to be passionate about what he speaks, i like that

[@sverrg]

Too bad he never heard of a whale or google

[@TheFoodieCutie]

Gunnar Hrafn Jónsson he said blue whale at the beginning of the video jackass

[@stumpydlugi8723]

There’s too many internet Einsteins here 😂

[@gammaraygem]

Internet is "spooky action at a distance"

[@joe___6868]

It’s not rocket science

[@Adahn99]

@@joe___6868 But it IS rocket science!

[@christopherdinoguy8346]

This post was made by the back of the class crew.

[@nickoliver3523]

Ark players**

[@ronschlorff7089]

Very nice and informative presentation! Hard to believe that dinosaurs may be still with us in the form of birds, unless you look closely at, especially the flightless birds, such as the Emu and Ostrich!! Anatomical similarities between them, such as air sacs, are also striking!! I also recall seeing some presentations that show, speculatively, some predatory dinosaurs with feathers,..... and of course there was Archaeopteryx!!! Good stuff on you tube!!

[@5674inCincy]

Ummm didn't sauropods roam the earth for millions and millions of years? I'd say that's successful.

[@janitor4jesus944]

In actuality,dinosaurs are not millions or billions of years old. They are actually some thousands of years old. And dinosaurs are still around. Been to the zoo lately?

[@janitor4jesus944]

@Basement Dweller Grandma's??? Lolol!!! Naw dude,but Crocs and turtles definitely are.

[@alexscott730]

Nothing has been around for millions of years.Wake up.

[@gangrenegengar1254]

Look at the cute people replying who don't understand science, aww so adorable

[@LordGreystoke]

@@janitor4jesus944 No. Dinosaurs existed millions of years ago. The average dinosaur may have only lived for a 100 years or so but their species lived for much longer, well-beyond thousands of years. Been to the library lately?

[@allanashby8089]

How did the dinosaurs get so big? That question was answered when scientists found a 10,000-liter Slurpee cup near the petrified remains of a near-perfectly preserved 7-Eleven, which they claim dates to the late Cretaceous Period. The straw alone was 15 meters long. Studies suggest it was the 'medium' size cup, the one that came with the 'Kinder-Surprise' and the toy apatosaurus.

[@joanneswartzberg8851]

Perfect.

[@feralbluee]

~~~ ROTFL ~~~ love it !!!

[@sunlite9759]

You must be a politician. ....maybe AOC?

[@leemaples1806]

lmfao

[@xX_wiLLiam_Xx]

Epic comment.

[@91abe]

"....blubber can do amazing things" I tell my fiance this every time, but she never listens...(chews on salad)

[@acanpc333]

That was super interesting!! Thank you! I’d love to know more about ancient mammals! Why do we know/talk so much about dinosaurs but so seldom do we talk about entelodonts or all those -theriums? We talk about ice age mammals lots, we lived with them. What about 10 million or 30 million years ago?

[@vickiatabi4235]

Possibly not enough data?

[@TueSorensen]

I'm surprised you didn't mention anything about the oxygen content in the atmosphere. At times it was up to 35%, and it seems to me that oxygenating large mucles and bodies would have been easier because of this. Also, temperatures were frequently higher, and if dinosaurs were coldblooded, large bodies would enable them to retain the heat of the days, so much so that they didn't lose that heat at night. This would have allowed them to be more active and find more food.

[@danielcorpuz1873]

That's from Carboniferous period Oxygen levels in Mesozoic Era is just almost the same as modern world's

[@aprameyananda1669]

@@danielcorpuz1873 didn't they mention in another video that a hot climate was a reason titanoboa reched its size.

[@You-vv1xv]

@@aprameyananda1669 Titanoboa didn't live around the time of the Dinosaurs

[@show_me_your_kitties]

Oh so you are one of those...

[@hmk8996]

Dinosaurs were not coldblooded.

[@Savage3OO6]

You forgot another factor that I think is worth mentioning -- time. The dinosaurs had 165 million years to reach their size and it took them about 65 million years to get so big. Terrestrial mammals have had about an equal amount of time (65 million years) to reach such a massive size and we haven't attained it as your video does a great job of expressing; however it is worth noting that, if given another 100 million years, a lot can happen.

[@57hound]

Excellent as always--one of the best channels on KZbin!

[@BertGrink]

Wherever Hank goes, high quality ensues.

[@liekeh2184]

+

[@trippysnow3791]

The Warped Board Execute Order 66

[@JohnSmith-pw1gf]

Well considering that dinosaurs existed for over 100 million years and we have only been around for 6 million years and it took an asteroid to wipe them out you can't exactly say bigger isn't better

[@dezmoynes1]

RE: the oxygen-concentration comments (including my own, just below): I looked again at Berner's last oxygen concentration study and was reminded that oxygen concentrations stayed low throughout the Jurassic... and, if I'm not mistaken, the largest sauropods are found in late-Jurassic strata. While their dominance continued into the early-Cretaceous when oxygen concentrations shot up, that obviously doesn't explain their earlier giant-ness.

[@J2digital]

Love me some PBS Eons.

[@delusionsofgrandeur1330]

I instantly like PBS videos, even before watching them.. Why? Because they’re that important and should be supported

[@Alfonzo_the_Marine_Iguana]

"How large do you want these organisms to-" Evolution: *Y E S*

[@Trex-or6cd]

You should do a video on titanoboa

[@golgarisoul]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/a33HgHiKfbdgb68

[@Trex-or6cd]

Cypher Caliban I all ready watched Trey's video on Titanoboa but still I want to learn more

[@HoveringAboveMyself]

There's nothing more to learn, everything published on Titanoboa is several years old, there's nothing new.

[@goldshtrom]

Great topic and great discussions. I was waiting to hear about the environment at the time - e.g. warmer climate, more CO2, more abundant flora to feed on, etc. Follow up video?

[@barksusa]

I have often wondered if (some) dinosaurs grew large simply because their DNA didn't have the mechanism to stop them from growing. As stated in the video, they all started from an egg no bigger than a soccer ball. The amount of resources required to grow to be 60+ tons would be a lot (obviously more than 60+ tons). Maybe the only limit to their size was how much food they could eat before they ran out of food or before they became food.

[@rainbowhiker]

I would like to hear alternative theories to those now widely accepted ones on various subjects such as space, plants, animal development. Thank you.

[@Infernoraptor]

About the blue whale: why have the largest fish (both historical bony and modern cartilaginous, Leedsicthys and the whale shark) and aquatic mammals (blue whale) been filter-feeders while the largest aquatic reptiles and sharks were predators? In fact, why have there nearly never been any filter-feeding aquatic reptiles (mosasaurus, shastasaurus, etc. albeit with the exception only of Mortunuria) if it is a viable enough strategy to result in massive bony fish, whales, and modern sharks? Is there something about today's oceans that makes the strategy more viable than in the past or is it something to do with reptile anatomy/physiology?

[@BumMcFluff]

Probably.

[@alien6824]

Sauroposeidon is probably the coolest name science ever came up with

[@pencilme1n]

Many species of today's reptiles keep on growing for their whole lives. Atmospheric conditions were more conducive to longevity in the past so they got very big. There was a much higher oxygen content then, and if there was also higher atmospheric pressure this would accommodate huge size Dinos. It would also make the Pterodactyl aerodynamic, which it wouldn't be in today's world. It wasn't just the Dinosaurs, almost everything was upsized back then including flora.

[@galdivier]

Sharks. Anything dealing with their ancestors and the evolution. that spawned them

[@KhanMann66]

Fun fact: Their jaws used to be part of the gill systems.

[@expressrobkill]

sharks been around for 400,000,000 years it's kinda incredible, to put this in perspective trees only evolved 350,000,000 years ago, unlike modern sharks earlier sharks had smooth skin and couldn't thrust there jaw forwards, and megalodon who lived a mere 2.5 million years ago was one of the largest predators ever. They constantly recycle their teeth in rows, and can sense blood one part in 25 million, and are usually one of the alpha predators in there food chain. there you gan, a starter pack of shark facts.

[@jrtstrategicapital560]

I’ve often wondered if earths gravity was the same today and during the Jurassic?

[@AndrewTBP]

Yes, it was.

[@AgroAcro]

Technically it's prob slightly different, but not enough to make a difference. Gravity is based on mass, and very few things can change the mass of a planet enough to make a huge difference in gravity.

[@MareShoop]

I can’t imagine how cute a baby Tyrannosaurus rex would have been 🤪😍

[@dekuuchiha9990]

Would be cool to see

[@ElbiAdajew]

It would be absolutely great to have a time-and-space map of how life on Earth evolved. We see some videos describe animals, other describe fungi or plants, others describe the environment etc etc. But if there was a timelapse of the world map - and where different types of organisms lived on the ever-changing continents, it's would be awesome. Things like average temperature or air composition could be added. I know it's an ambitious request, but it would help so, so much to connect all the information we hear, which, for now, seems more like a myriad of non-connected dots rather than a comprehensive (hi)story.

[@vickiatabi4235]

I agree, but I don't think our minds could comprehend the Whole Story at once. That's why books/lessons/videos have chapters. I've watched a lot of Eons-PBS,and I usually need to watch each several times, to really understand it. I do see your point; I would like to see what you are suggesting. I've tried to watch episodes in sequence, but I think it's just to BIG☑️🌚

[@KC_Smooth]

It’s fascinating how much about our past we don’t know. What if we’re wrong about dinosaurs, or even Earth’s history! Life on this planet is so amazing and mysterious.

[@PewPew485]

given the size of those huge dinosaurs and their soccer-sized eggs, I wonder how many "oops" they have had....

[@jonathankirsch2121]

So you're my favorite presenter in eons and I had two ideas for videos, one about moa cuz I love birds, and another about like past climate change and relate that to today

[@BurningheartofSILVER]

Here at the end of 2023: I never realized Hank was on EONS! I think I found this channel after his tenure on the show. What a happy surprise though!

[@realityquotient7699]

As a child, I read book of fiction that theorized that genuine dragons may have existed. The concept was a dinosaur that mastered lighter-than-air flight, like a biological Zeppelin. Given this information about the air pockets in these dinosaur's bodies and bones, it seems an even more interesting notion.

[@Gwydda]

A dinosaur that mastered flight = a bird.

[@liamkerr7183]

@@Gwydda no it equals a pterosaur

[@Peter_1986]

+digital trucker It is possible that there may have existed some dinosaur species that came very close to being a dragon - especially if it was a "snake-like" dragon, like the long and slender flying dragon Volvagia in the video game series "The Legend Of Zelda", since this would make it lighter in bodyweight. But actual fire breath is a lot more complicated, and probably has never existed.

[@spindash64]

Laurelindo Actually, Fire isn’t as impossible as you’d think. The Bombardier beetle has a somewhat similar system in concept.

[@xX_wiLLiam_Xx]

@@liamkerr7183 pterosaurs aren't dinosaurs

[@gekkobear1650]

Hornless rhinoceros is an oxymoron

[@Rose_Butterfly98]

Psycho Lefty yes, it actually is. O don't think many others would notice

[@kw19193]

I think you mean an oxygenmoron . . . Cheers!

[@michaelsanchez5954]

Psycho Lefty look man idk what kinda oxy you been doin! But a rhinoceros has a horn bro! Duh!

[@shockal7269]

im sick of these oxygen comments...

[@kw19193]

Take a deep breath mate and relax. Cheers!

[@Green4CloveR]

Its like the same with Antiques. Smaller items like vases, toys, cutlery and jewelry survives. But large heavier furniture are less available at an antique shop.

[@tomdrowry]

The New Zealand Moa would still be alive if humans hadn't killed them off.

[@muurrarium9460]

Actually they birthcontrolled them out of existence by eating/destroying all the eggs ;)

[@miacox3335]

Wow, I kid of forgot how big dinosaurs where, as you only really see them on screens and In books its hard to imagine animals so big

[@reuireuiop0]

Hank even managed to look extra nerdy as an extra bonus to this already nerdy subject (Yes ! Dino's are nerdy ! At least during our own most nerdy phase, as about 7 to 10 years youngsters :)

[@lay-zboi9186]

Or do a video about prehistoric armadillos

[@sghaiermohamed2905]

How did you manage to get your two comments next to each other at the right order ?

[@fishfan2]

Lay-z Alburrito you mean the Doedicurus

[@WynandLens]

I love getting my dose of science from you!

[@benjikidd9739]

I also was told that oxygen levels were different. Allowing not just just dinosaurs but ancient insects and plants and others to grown much larger than they do now. Apparently as i was understood mosquitos were almost the size of a mouse or a small dog at the time

[@ashleyjohnston6225]

What was the first sexually reproducing life, and what were the incremental steps that allowed it?

[@jaredyoung5353]

There is none. The most successful organism on the planet is bacteria. It doesn't make anysense why anything would evolve past that. Evolution ... the theory of inbreeding and picking up mutation can somehow creat more complex life. Ps more mutation are harmful or cancerous ... look up Genetic entropy

[@vampyricon7026]

+

[@wasd____]

Jarrod Youngblood bacteria are successful in bacteria niches. To take advantage of other niches requires development into more complex forms. It makes perfect sense that organisms would evolve past that: natural selection favored the advantages of being more complex than bacteria if that complexity offered a better chance of survival and reproduction. The proof of that is in the easily observed fact that you and I and other eukaryotes exist and keep existing. If we didn't have sufficient fitness for our ecological roles, we wouldn't be here because we'd have been outcompeted by bacteria trying to utilize the same resources. But we haven't been, have we?

[@agilemind6241]

Firstly some bacteria engage is a form of "sex" called conjugation. Secondly it is blatantly obvious why stuff would evolve past bacteria - because they could then eat the bacteria which are a must richer food source than the gunk bacteria eat. Thirdly it isn't the "the theory of evolution by mutation" it is "the theory of evolution by natural selection". Mutations just create the possibilities, it is natural selection which separates the wheat from the chaff.

[@ashleyjohnston6225]

Does nobody even have a plausible guess about how the steps could have happened?

[@lay-zboi9186]

Do a video about prehistoric turtles

[@popinmo6936]

Lay-z Alburrito pls

[@popinmo6936]

One on crocs to

[@BuddWolf]

I’ve heard that the higher oxygen in the atmosphere also played a role. Paleontologist I’ve asked say, the oxygen content was as high as 30% (due to higher vegetation content). Having such, would not only cause greater size from a pulmonary aspect but as it diminished to today’s 21%, size would drop significantly. That being said, some scientists disagree with this theory.

[@patbrennan6572]

increased oxygen levels most definatly played a hugh role.

[@louisdackombe]

@@trvth1s yep, gigantism is more likely to have been attributed to lower gravity from the smaller mass of Earth back then (see Pangaea/expanding Earth)

[@harrymcnicholas9468]

There is no evidence of increased O levels. Why then is the blue whale so big?

[@Realivangarcia]

trvth1s Why do you have to treat people like they’re stupid? Damn religiously condemning people for not being educated.

[@Dominion-1]

How Did Dinosaurs Get So Huge? ....... By eating *Krispykremeosaurus.*

[@scottmantooth8785]

clearly a symptom of dino inflammation or an allergic reaction to the consumption of all those swamp plants

[@chazzlucas6395]

LOL ...NICE : )

[@jaisanatanrashtra7035]

We want this guy back again on PBS eons

[@thomasuglyasfuck]

Could you make a video of what life on land was like just after the non avian dinos went extinct? I mean just a million or so years after the K-T boundary?

[@syntaxed2]

Oxygen levels were higher back then...most likely the primary factor considering insects and oceanic creatures were bigger aswell. The higher oxygen saturation was also a factor for fueling continental fires after the asteroid impact.

[@jimascia]

I'm surprised the narrator didn't mention that.

[@LEDewey_MD]

Actually, the most recent hypothesis is that oxygen levels were about 30 percent during the cretaceous, ("Oxygen: The Molecule That Made the World", by Nick Lane, Ph. D.) And in contrast, the carboniferous reached oxygen levels of 35 percent.

[@Remygarcia1717]

Oxygen levels were actually lower, if we were to be around during their time we would die of suffocation

[@Кори-с6в]

Fantastic friend! Thank you for that explanation 🤠

[@PushyPawn]

Dinosaurs wake me up in the mornings!

[@joschuaknuppe5849]

A episode on coprolites could be fun ;) Very nice video btw!

[@ElectricPyroclast]

A whole new meaning in shitting rocks.

[@obifachinabi]

Gravity was less than today... that helped a lot!

[@dietcoke1872]

? um

[@HomeroTV95]

“Bigger is not always better” -Texas has left the chat

[@michaellyden2580]

Here's a question: What's the deal with Hammerhead Sharks? Is there an evolutionary advantage to having their eyes out to the side like that? Or was there a mutation that had no serious effect on the creature that, over time, ended up evolving into its own species?

[@Nimblewright1992]

Michael Lyden Advantages include, but are not limited to: directional scent, heightened electroreception, and 360° vision (including stereoscopic vision directly in front and *behind* them)

[@ElectricPyroclast]

The eye positions look odd, but they actually provide 360 degree vision. As for the potential problem of what's right in front of the snout, there are extra sensors there (think of it like advanced skin that can feel "touch" from nearby objects that aren't even really touching). EDIT: Just watch TierZoo, he's amazing at explaining the tips and tricks of animal MMO.

[@kestrelwings]

When attacking an octopus, it would be safer to have eyes away from your mouth, because the octopus might reach up and grab an eye. I'm surprised that so many creatures have eyes near their attacking mechanism (mouth). Sharks also have electric sensors on those hammers.

[@xabu2850]

I like the conclusion of bigger might not be better. I've always kind of wondered, since evolution sounds a lot like gradient ascent as an optimization technique. We should see both intermediate results as well as local instead of global optima, I'm glad to see this actually happens

[@NighteeeeeY]

You wanna tell me a 35m long Dino was one time not bigger than a football? How crazy is that??

[@patrickmccurry1563]

Eggs bigger than that would have shells too thick for any hatchling to break out of.

[@hackarma2072]

All your videos are awesome but there somthing I think is off in this one. You say bigger isn't better, and I would say okay but to prove it you they "they're gone". It is true, their massive needs led them to death but the same scheme apply to all animals bigger than, erh I don't really know, maybe a rabbit, during such a great crisis as KT extinction. In fact, those dinosaurs spread around the world from 150 Million years ago to the KT extinction, so their size was an advantage. Sorry for errors if there is some, I'm still learning.

[@vickiatabi4235]

We all do that ☑️

[@feralbluee]

Fabulous video - i had no idea about the air sacs - explains a hell of a lot! more, please :} (n.b. as with others here, dinos certainly were successful - we're just a blip so far. ???? so why state that?)

[@juan15car]

Imagine a vr version of ARK 😶

[@siyacer]

Vark