LLD101

Dan The Man · Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 55 18.68 Silvarrr

My question is why are animals of sea and land so much smaller than animals that lived millions of years ago.

I mean scientist have found fossils and skeletal remains of similar animals that exist today but are much smaller in comparison, like ridiculously smaller.

For example, the Great White Shark. Its ancestor is called Megalodon.

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vertebrates/basalfish/carcharodonCW.gif

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Megalodon_tooth_great_white_shark_teeth_.jpg/180px-Megalodon_tooth_great_white_shark_teeth_.jpg

They say an adult Great White Shark would just be the size of an adolescent Megalodon. This would mean an adult Megalodon would be double or three times the size of a modern Great White Shark. This applies to most animals too. Which comes back to my question.

Why are animals these days much smaller compared to animals millions of years ago?

fyi: I've read its because of the atmosphere. Hundreds of millions of years ago, the atmosphere was more dense with oxygen and other compounds. This would mean animals breathed in more oxygen and had larger hearts, lungs and basically a larger ass. But yeah, any thoughts would be awesome, laters!

Mimes · _________________ 1,000th post on 12/12/07

Because they are.

B[x] · Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 3:06 pm Post subject:

Fossils grow over time.

sPiN · Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 11:02 am Post subject:

they adapt, it's easier to survive when you are little than when you are big.

Grim04 · Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 4:44 pm Post subject:

More Oxygen in the air.