“These too have to evolve and may have some cost. Why large animals like the African elephant and the blue whale are able to stave off the disease remains a mystery, but Rosindell believes it could be due to them having evolved potential genetic defences against cancer. “The larger your body, the more cells you have, and therefore more chance of one cell malfunctioning and causing a cancer,” explains Rosindell. Ultimately, Kong and Godzilla’s biggest threat may not be each other, but their own bodies. “This is why large dinosaurs were all at least partially endothermic (warm-blooded).” “In reality, it would have been impossible for Godzilla to be cold blooded (ectothermic) at that size because ectotherms of that size would not be able to heat up sufficiently using external energy sources,” he explains. When it comes to the question of whether either creature could ever exist at all, Labonte explains that warm-blooded creatures – like primates – are thought to have an easier time adapting than cold-blooded ones, suggesting Kong has more of a chance than Godzilla at dealing with challenges such as climate change.īut, Pawar adds, the chances of a cold-blooded animal reaching anywhere near Godzilla’s size is impossible, as the dinosaurs proved. The chances of Godzilla or Kong being able to take a step without incurring multiple fractures – let alone stomping through city blocks – is slim to none. It’s the reason our largest land animal, the African elephant tips the scales at a relatively puny six tonnes. Gravity, then, is a problem our terrestrial animals are yet to overcome. It’s also the reason that when whales beach, the most common cause of death is internal damage from the weight of their own bodies. Having its weight suspended in water is one of the key reasons why the blue whale is able to grow so large. This has allowed some blue whales to grow up to 180 tonnes (Kong was around 158 tonnes in his last film).Īn aquatic environment bestows other advantages, namely, buoyancy. When it comes to the blue whale, Labonte explains that their large mouths and a technique known as ‘lunge feeding’ enables them to obtain enough food to sustain their bodies. For example, why there are no climbing animals heavier than geckos that can cling upside down to smooth surfaces? Labonte has a specific interest in the interaction between physical laws and body size. “The size limit of aquatic animals is closely tied to the ability to eat enough food to sustain their chonky bodies,” explains David Labonte, a researcher in the department of bioengineering, also at Imperial College. The largest animal alive today, the blue whale, is found in our oceans.
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