Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Peru: Ice Age armadillos the size of cars, fossil shows
Reuters (via ABC of Australia) ^ | 05/20/05

Posted on 05/19/2005 11:42:50 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-24 last
To: blam; FairOpinion; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach

Check this out. :')


21 posted on 05/20/2005 7:47:21 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (FR profiled updated Tuesday, May 10, 2005. Fewer graphics, faster loading.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KSCITYBOY

Larger animals have a tendency to be very specialized and therefore very susceptible to changes in the environment -- be that a new predator (man), the destruction or limitation of a habitat (through moving ice sheets, for example), or whatnot. Also, the larger the animal, the longer the period between generations and the fewer offspring per generation. Whereas smaller animals reproduce like it's going out of style and have relatively large numbers of offspring per generation, ensuring that at least some will make it regardless of environmental stresses, big critters like elephants have one offspring at a time and take longer to gestate and raise that offspring to reproductive age which increases the chances it won't survive that long.


22 posted on 05/20/2005 9:33:30 AM PDT by Junior (“Even if you are one-in-a-million, there are still 6,000 others just like you.”)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: KSCITYBOY
Everything I hear about prehistoric times was very large including plant life.

Not really. During the Carboniferous period the amount of oxygen in the air was quite a bit higher, so there were large insects and ferns but relatively few large vertebrates. During the ages of the dinosaurs, most of the extent critters were actually wolf sized and smaller. Only a relatively small number of species achieved gigantic size. There were large "terror birds" right after the end of the end of that era, but most never got bigger than ostriches and moas. The largest mammal was the Indricotherium, which topped the scales at 20 tonnes, but most of its contemporaries were about the size of modern mammals.

23 posted on 05/20/2005 9:37:36 AM PDT by Junior (“Even if you are one-in-a-million, there are still 6,000 others just like you.”)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster

Wonder what all that body armor was designed to repel?


24 posted on 05/26/2005 9:33:06 PM PDT by piasa (Attitude Adjustments Offered Here Free of Charge)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-24 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson