Behemoth, the Sessile Mammal

This concept is relatively simple. There are many animals which start mobile, but become sessile later in their life history, all of which are simple and primitive. And I was wondering this: what is the upper limit on animal size? And I realized that in the ocean, that limit is probably simply determined on not being so massive that it kills you. But on land, you would die from being unable to move, find food and water etc., long before you die from suffocating under your own weight. So I realized you could have a mammal (or other complex animal, even an insect would do) that becomes immobile as it grows up, and uses pheromones to attract other lifeforms, like something akin to a carnivorous plant. Could that work? Why or why not? Related issues: Is it possible for mammals to undergo metamorphosis? Why or why not? Could, say an elephant, do this without metamorphosis? By no, do you mean not feasible, or could not evolve but could engineer?

posted over 8 years ago

Zachary Zheng‭

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