• dependencyinjection@discuss.tchncs.de
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        19 days ago

        I got curious and your assumption is correct for one of the limiting factors.

        Here is what I found:

        • The shell must be strong enough to support the egg’s weight and protect the embryo, but thin enough for the chick to break through when hatching.
        • As size increases, the weight grows cubically (volume), but shell strength only increases quadratically (surface area), so there’s a point where the shell would have to be too thick to hatch from.
        • The distance from the shell to the center increases.
        • Oxygen diffusion becomes inefficient, and the embryo could suffocate.
        • Larger eggs are harder to keep at a uniform temperature.
        • Birds incubating the eggs would need to generate and distribute more heat, which is physically demanding.