What is the largest size and weight an animal can be?

  • Thread starter Thread starter iDimension
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Animal Weight
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the theoretical limits of animal size, emphasizing the square-cube law, which dictates that as an animal grows, its volume (and weight) increases faster than its surface area. This law suggests that while sea animals can grow larger due to buoyancy, land animals face significant physical constraints. The largest known land animal, the titanosaur Argentinosaurus, reached lengths of 30 to 50 meters and weights of 80 to 100 tonnes, prompting questions about whether this represents the upper limit for terrestrial creatures. The conversation also touches on the absence of a definitive answer regarding size limits, suggesting that while there may not be a strict upper boundary, practical constraints like landmass area and evolutionary pathways play critical roles. Additionally, it is noted that some organisms, such as a vast fungal mat in Minnesota, can exceed the size of traditional animals, indicating that size limits may not apply uniformly across all life forms.
iDimension
Messages
108
Reaction score
4
Due to the square cube law there is a limit to how large an animal can be. I believe sea animals are capable of being much larger than land animals because the water supports their weight but what is the theoretical limit to how large a land animal can be and a sea animal? Excluding food consumption etc just purely mathematical limits.

From looking at wikipedia it seems the largest land animal ever was the titanosaur Argentinosaurus huinculensis which stood at between 30 and 50 metres and weighed between 80 and 100 tonnes. Is this pretty much the limit for a land animal?

Thanks.
 
Biology news on Phys.org
That article doesn't answer my question and neither did any of my other searches which I why I posted on here. I'm looking for an answer that works out what the upper limit might be for a land based animal and a sea based animal.
 
iDimension said:
That article doesn't answer my question and neither did any of my other searches which I why I posted on here. I'm looking for an answer that works out what the upper limit might be for a land based animal and a sea based animal.
Maybe that's because there is no answer.
 
Are you limiting your request to animals?

There are things alive on the Earth larger than Blue Whales.

I doubt there is any meaningful hard upper limit to their size, I mean, aside from the area of the Earth's landmasses.
 
  • Like
Likes jedishrfu
Perforce, we're limited to land quadrupeds. Had evolution turned a different way, more legs could allow more body mass...
 

Similar threads

What is the largest an animal can be?
Replies
1
Views
2K
Synthetic Biology, What Might It Do?
Replies
1
Views
3K
How can the lift produced by animal wings be calculated?
Replies
42
Views
10K
What determines the maximum weight an electric motor can lift?
Replies
6
Views
5K
42% of Sea Level rise due to human water use?
Replies
10
Views
5K
Writing: Input Wanted What Makes Great Lakes Earth So Geographically Unique?
Replies
6
Views
3K
What colors and attributes could alien flora & fauna have?
Replies
15
Views
5K
What Can You Discover at the Mammoth Exhibition in Brest, France?
Replies
5
Views
4K
How Does Great Lakes Earth's Geography Differ from Our Own?
Replies
2
Views
4K
Writing: Read Only What Does Great Lakes Earth Look Like from Space?
Replies
1
Views
4K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top