Well, "giant" is a relative term, and we've observed some to whom this definition would apply to many people, such as this guy:
Yes, he's quite impressive. But why can't we have monsters like that too?
It would actually be better if these were limited to the Sci-Fi channel.
But why? They don't stop growing, so they should eventually reach that point, right?
Well, the most important thing to keep in mind here is theGrowth rateMany plant and animal species never stop growing, but they do stop.at a high paceto grow.
To illustrate this, take a look at this growth chart for a crocodile:
While growth doesn't stop, it's clear that it slows down somewhat later in the crocodile's life, so that by the end of its existence it's only gaining about 10 pounds per decade. If the crocodile in this example were to live to be 100, it might be twice the size of its 30-year-old self, but it wouldn't be swallowing boats anytime soon. So we won't be seeing whale-sized crocodiles unless they discover the secret of immortality, and even then, given their slow growth rate, we'll have plenty of time to prepare.