The Infinite Monkey Cage
The Scale of Life (or were dinosaurs just too big?)
Nov 29, 2023
Dr Susie Maidment, Dr Tori Herridge, and Dave Gorman discuss the advantages and disadvantages of large vs small organisms. They explore the evolution of size and extinction events, debunk misconceptions about dinosaur speed, talk about biases and challenges in finding dinosaur fossils, and delve into theories about the extinction of dinosaurs and 1970s fascination with giant creatures.
42:22
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Quick takeaways
- Size is fundamental to an organism's biology, impacting factors like food sources, lifespan, and living space.
- Carnivorous dinosaurs evolved larger body sizes as a defense mechanism against predators.
Deep dives
The Scale of Life: From Small Organisms to Dinosaurs
The podcast episode explores the scale of life, discussing why some organisms are large while others are small. The panelists, including a paleontologist, an evolutionary biologist, and a comedian, share their insights and examples of astonishing fossils. They mention the stem tetrapod, a fish with limbs from 450 million years ago, highlighting the importance of limbs for early land exploration. The discussion covers the advantages and disadvantages of being big or small, and how size impacts an organism's biology, habitat, diet, and evolution.
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