video thumbnail 3:10
Why Do Some Animals Get Gigantic?

2017-11-24

[public] 1.12M views, 25.3K likes, dislikes audio only

channel thumbMinuteEarth

Get your first KiwiCo box free by going to http://www.kiwico.com/minuteearth

Occasionally, internal or external factors change, allowing certain animals to become giant versions of themselves.

Thanks also to our supporters on https://www.patreon.com/MinuteEarth

___________________________________________

To learn more, start your googling with these keywords:

Spiracles: External respiratory openings on insects

Carboniferous Period: The time period from 359-299 million years ago when the Earth’s oxygen levels increased rapidly.

Square-Cube Law: A mathematical principle that describes the relationship between area and volume.

Buoyancy: An upward force exerted by a fluid that opposes the weight of an immersed object.

Phytoplankton: Microscopic plants eaten by krill and other zooplankton.

Baleen: A filter-feeding system inside the mouth of some whales.

_________________________________________

Subscribe to MinuteEarth on YouTube: http://goo.gl/EpIDGd

Support us on Patreon: https://goo.gl/ZVgLQZ

And visit our website: https://www.minuteearth.com/

Say hello on Facebook: http://goo.gl/FpAvo6

And Twitter: http://goo.gl/Y1aWVC

And download our videos on itunes: https://goo.gl/sfwS6n

___________________________________________

Credits (and Twitter handles):

Script Writer: David Goldenberg (@dgoldenberg)

Script Editor: Emily Elert (@eelert)

Video Illustrator: Ever Salazar (@eversalazar)

Video Director: Kate Yoshida (@KateYoshida)

Video Narrator: Kate Yoshida (@KateYoshida)

With Contributions From: Henry Reich, Alex Reich, Peter Reich

Music by: Nathaniel Schroeder: http://www.soundcloud.com/drschroeder

___________________________________________

References:

Kaiser, A., et al. (2007). Increase in tracheal investment with beetle size supports hypothesis of oxygen limitation on insect gigantism. 13198-13203. PNAS. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1941816/

Sander, P. Christian, et al. (2011). Biology of the sauropod dinosaurs:the evolution of gigantism. Biological Reviews. 86(1): 117–155. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3045712/

Taylor, M and Weder, M. (2013). Why sauropods had long necks; and why giraffes have short necks. PeerJ 1:e36. Retrieved from: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1209.5439.pdf.

Verberk, W. and Bilton, D. (2011). Can Oxygen Set Thermal Limits in an Insect and Drive Gigantism? PLOS One. 6(7): e22610. Retrieved from: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0022610

Slater, G., Goldbogen, J., Pyenson, N. (2017). Independent evolution of baleen whale gigantism linked to Plio-Pleistocene ocean dynamics. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 284: 20170546. Retrieved from: http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/284/1855/20170546.


The Biggest Organism on Earth by MinuteEarth
/youtube/video/vWAA-SrrFUQ
Patreon Help us make more videos!
https://www.patreon.com/minuteearth
MinuteEarth Science and stories about our awesome planet! Our staff: Lizah van der Aart, Sarah Berman, Cameron Duke, Arcadi Garcia, David Goldenberg, Melissa Hayes, Alex Reich, Henry Reich, Peter Reich, Ever Salazar, Leonardo Souza, Kate Yoshida and Jasper Palfree. MinuteEarth is produced by Neptune Studios LLC
/youtube/channel/UCeiYXex_fwgYDonaTcSIk6w
MinuteEarth is creating YouTube Videos | Patreon patreon.com
https://www.patreon.com/minuteearth
Why Do Heart Attacks Cause *Arm* Pain? 113,834 views
/youtube/video/4DF94Wvtekk