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Comment by ceejayoz | Hacker News Reader

Oxygen-wise, the answer may be a specific one-way lung structure still seen in modern birds.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/1/100114-alliga...

Plus isn't accurate that oxygen in air was much higher in the era this new found dinosaur was found? (edit) seems that this new find would be in the middle of the cretaceous period and according to some quick googling, it is thought the 02 levels were ~30% versus ~20% today.

Yes, up to 35% during the Carboniferous period, which allowed a whole host of creatures to get much bigger than they are today. I'm not sure when it dropped to the modern 21%, though.

https://forces.si.edu/atmosphere/02_02_06.html

Kinda ruins Jurassic park, the brachiosaurus should have been out of breath the whole time I bet...

I still enjoy Jurassic Park, but can't unsee a mental image of plucked, frozen supermarket chicken every time I look at the dinosaurs

Could this also explain why people in the Netherlands got so tall so quickly? Maybe by being below the level of the ocean they get more oxygen?

Edit: there’s no mention about oxygen or seal level in this article about Dutch people’s quick increase in height over the last 150 years https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/08/scientists-try...

The lowest point in the Netherlands is 22 feet below sea level. There's going to be no meaningful difference between that and zero.

Some of the world’s tallest folks are from East Africa, and most of Africa is fairly high above sea level.

Peruvians of Incan descent tend to be short, and I have heard that it is because of the elevated areas in which they live, so it’s likely to be a product of multiple coefficients.

Long legs are more efficient on flat terrain; short legs, in the mountains.

All the short ones perished before the canals. Sorry, dark humor, I’ll see myself out.

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