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{{short description|List of largest organisms on Earth}}
], a ], is the largest single living organism in the world]]
{{pp-move}}
The '''largest organism''' found on ] can be measured using a variety of different methods. It could be defined as the largest by ], ], ], or ]. Some creatures group together to form a ], though this cannot truly be classed as one large organism.
] is a clonal colony of an individual ] with an interconnected root system. It is widely held to be the world's most massive single organism.]]
This article lists the '''largest ]''' for various types of life and mostly considers ] species,{{efn|The organism sizes listed are frequently considered "outsized" and are not in the normal size range for the respective group.}} which found on Earth can be determined according to various aspects of an organism's size, such as: mass, volume, area, length, height, or even ]. Some organisms group together to form a ] (such as ]s or ]s), but such are not classed as single large organisms. The ] is the world's largest structure composed of living entities, stretching {{convert|2,000|km|mi|abbr=on}} but contains many organisms of many types of species.


When considering singular entities, the largest organisms are ] which can spread over large areas. ], a clonal colony of the ], is widely considered to be the largest such organism by mass.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.zmescience.com/other/science-abc/heaviest-organism-pando-aspen/|title = The Heaviest Living Organism in the World|date = 9 February 2015|access-date = 10 February 2016|website = ZME Science|last = Mihai|first = Andrei}}</ref> Even if such colonies are excluded, ] retain their dominance of this listing, with the ] being the most massive tree.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Giant Sequoia National Monument|url=http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sequoia/home/?cid=stelprdb5394941|website=Sequoia National Forest|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture - Forest service|access-date=10 February 2016}}</ref> In 2006, a huge ] of the ] '']'' was discovered south of the island of ]. At {{convert|8|km|0}} across, and estimated at 100,000 years old,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/view/1152-20|title=Portuguese scientists discover world's oldest living organism|website=www.theportugalnews.com|access-date=2019-02-14|archive-date=2019-01-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119070051/http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/view/1152-20|url-status=dead}}</ref> it may be one of the largest and ] clonal colonies on Earth.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.ibiza-spotlight.com/news/2006/monster_plant_280506_i.htm|title= Ibiza's Monster Marine Plant|access-date= 2007-05-09|work=Ibiza Spotlight|date= 28 May 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060827123801/http://www.ibiza-spotlight.com/news/2006/monster_plant_280506_i.htm|archive-date= 27 August 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Pearlman |first=Jonathan |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/9066393/Ancient-seagrass-Oldest-living-thing-on-earth-discovered-in-Mediterranean-Sea.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207170657/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/9066393/Ancient-seagrass-Oldest-living-thing-on-earth-discovered-in-Mediterranean-Sea.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 February 2012 |title='Oldest living thing on earth' discovered |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=7 February 2012 |access-date=11 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Arnaud-Haond|first=Sophie|author2=Duarte, Carlos M. |author3=Diaz-Almela, Elena |author4=Marbà, Núria |author5=Sintes, Tomas |author6=Serrão, Ester A. |author7=Bruun, Hans Henrik |title=Implications of Extreme Life Span in Clonal Organisms: Millenary Clones in Meadows of the Threatened Seagrass ''Posidonia oceanica''|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=7|issue=2|pages=e30454|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0030454|pmid=22312426|pmc=3270012|bibcode=2012PLoSO...730454A|year=2012|doi-access=free}}</ref>
==Largest species==
===Animals===
] as the largest animal.]]
====Mammals (''Mammalia'')====
]s (''Balaenoptera musculus'') are believed to be the largest ] ever to have lived, with lengths of up to 30 m (100 feet) and wights of up to 140 ]s (150 ]s) or more. The ] (''Loxodonta africana'') is the largest living land ]s. At ] it is common for an elephant calf to weigh 100 kg (225 pounds). The largest elephant ever recorded was shot in ] in 1974. It was a male and weighed 12,000 kg (26,400 pounds).


Among ], the largest species are all ]s, specifically ]. The ] is believed to be the largest animal to have ever lived.<ref name="NYT-20240229">{{cite news |last=Zimmer |first=Carl |authorlink=Carl Zimmer |title=Researchers Dispute Claim That Ancient Whale Was Heaviest Animal Ever - A new study argues that Perucetus, an ancient whale species, was certainly big, but not as big as today's blue whales. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/29/science/giant-whale-perucetus.html |date=29 February 2024 |work=] |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20240229131654/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/29/science/giant-whale-perucetus.html |archivedate=29 February 2024 |accessdate=3 March 2024 }}</ref> The living land animal classification is also dominated by ], with the ] being the largest of these.
=====Monotremes (''Monotremata'')=====
The largest ] ever was the ] '']'', known only from a few ]s found in western ].


==Plants==
=====Placentals (''Placentalia'')=====
{{main|List of largest plants}}
By ]:
The largest single-stem tree by wood volume and mass is the ] (''Sequoiadendron giganteum''), native to Sierra Nevada and California; it typically grows to a height of {{convert|70|-|85|m|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=2}} and {{convert|5|-|7|m|ft|abbr=on}} in diameter.
*'''Colugos''' (''Dermoptera''). Of the two ] species in the ''Dermoptera'' order of gliding arboreal mammels in ]n, the largest and most common is the ] (''Cynocephalus varigatus'')
*'''Elephants, mammoths, and mastodons''' (''Proboscidea''). Contray to popular belief, extinct species in the '']'' order (such as ]s and ]s) are not larger than today's elephants. The Savannah Elephant is the largest living elephant, and is believed to be the largest known species ever in ''Proboscidea''.
*'''Bats''' (''Chiroptera''). The largest ] is the ], a rare ] and ] that is part of the ] family.
*'''Scaly anteaters''' (''Pangolin''). The largest species of ] is the ].
*'''Rodents''' (''Rodentia''). The largest living ] is the ], native to most of the ] and ] parts of ] east of the ], always near water. Full-grown capybaras reach between 105 and 135 cm in length, and weigh 35 to 65 kg. The largest known rodent ever is '']'', an ] rodent who lived in the ] ] about 8 million years ago. An almost complete skeleton of the giant rodent was discovered in ] in ]; it was 3 m long, with an additional 1.5 m tail, and probably weighed around 700 kg.
*'''Primates'''. The ] (''Gorilla beringei graueri'') ] is the largest living ]; males weigh about 180 kg (400 pounds) in the wild and are can be much much heavier in captivity.
*'''Hares, rabbits, and pikas''' (''Lagomorpha''). The largest in the order '']'' of ]s, ]s, and ]s is ?
*'''Dugongs and manatees''' (''Sirenia''). The largest living species in the order '']'' of ]s and ]s is the ]; however, the extinct ] (''Hydrodamalis gigas'') was much larger, growing up to 7.9 m long and weighing up to 11 tonnes.


The largest organism in the world, according to mass, is the ] whose colonies of clones can grow up to {{convert|5|mi|km|order=flip|0}} in size. The largest such colony is ], in the ] in Utah.
===Birds===
The largest ] is the ] (''Struthio camelus''), reaching a height of up to 2.5 m (8 feet). ] laid by the Ostrich can weigh 1.3 kg and are the largest eggs in the world today (and are also the largest single ] of any organism).


A form of flowering plant that far exceeds Pando as the largest organism on Earth in area and potentially also mass, is the giant marine plant, '']'', living in ], Australia. Its length is about {{convert|180|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} and it covers an area of {{convert|200|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/01/what-the-hell-australian-scientists-discover-biggest-plant-on-earth-off-wa-coast | title=Scientists discover 'biggest plant on Earth' off Western Australian coast | website=] | date=31 May 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Edgeloe |first1=Jane M. |last2=Severn-Ellis |first2=Anita A. |last3=Bayer |first3=Philipp E. |last4=Mehravi |first4=Shaghayegh |last5=Breed |first5=Martin F. |last6=Krauss |first6=Siegfried L. |last7=Batley |first7=Jacqueline |last8=Kendrick |first8=Gary A. |last9=Sinclair |first9=Elizabeth A. |date=2022-06-08 |title=Extensive polyploid clonality was a successful strategy for seagrass to expand into a newly submerged environment |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |volume=289 |issue=1976 |pages=20220538 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2022.0538|pmid=35642363 |pmc=9156900 |s2cid=249204370 }}</ref> It is also among the ].
===Reptiles===
The largest ] is the ], with adult males being typically 4.5–5 m long, although exceptionally large crocodiles may surpass 6 m (19 feet) in length and weigh up 1000 kg (2200 pounds). Average-sized males weigh around 450 kg. Females are much smaller than males, with typical female body lengths in the range of 2.5–3 m.


Another giant marine plant of the genus '']'', '']'' discovered in the Mediterranean near the Balearic Islands, Spain may be the ] organism in the world, with an estimated age of 100,000 years.<ref name=seagrass> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071226063158/http://www.ibiza-spotlight.com/news/2006/monster_plant_280506_i.htm |date=2007-12-26 }}. ''Ibiza Spotlight'' (2006-05-28).</ref>
===Fish===
The largest ] is the ], recorded accurately to be up to 12 m long, with unofficial accounts of 18 m.


The largest individual flower in the world is '']'', while the ] with the largest unbranched ] in the world is ''].'' Both are native to ] in ].
===Cnidaria===
The ] is the largest ] species, with some attaining a bell diameter of 2.5 m (8 feet) and ]s as long as 30.5 m (100 feet) or more.


===Plants=== ===Green algae===
] are photosynthetic unicellular and multicellular ] that are related to land plants. The ] of the unicellular mermaid's wineglass, '']'', can grow to several inches (perhaps 0.1 to 0.2 m) in length. The fronds of the similarly unicellular, and invasive '']'' can grow up to a foot (0.3 m) long.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
] (''Sequoiadendron giganteum'') is the largest tree; shown here compared to a car.]]
The ] is the world's largest ] in terms of total volume. They grow to an average height of 70-85 m (230-280 ft) and 5-7 m (16-23 ft) in diameter. ] have been reported to be 93.6 m (307 ft) in height and 8.85 m (29 ft) in diameter; the largest individual is the ], with a volume of 1489 m³. Although not so large in volume, the closely related ] (''Sequoia sempervirens'') is taller, reaching a maximum height of 112.83 m.


==Animals==
The Giant Sequoia is a ], as are the next four or five largest plant species. The largest ] (angiosperm) is '']'' which can reach heights over 92 m . The largest ] belongs to the species ], with a diameter of nearly a meter and a weight up to 11 kg.
]
]'' is potentially the largest animal to have walked the earth.]]{{excerpt|Largest animals}}


===Fungi=== ==Fungi==
].]] ]''|315x315px]]{{Main|Largest fungal fruit bodies}}
The largest living ] may be a ]<ref name="UW">{{Cite web|title=Armillaria gallica, the humongous fungus humungus. Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month for April 2002|url=http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/apr2002.html|access-date=2022-12-26|website=botit.botany.wisc.edu}}</ref> of the ] '']''.<ref name=BBCfungus>{{Cite web|title=BBC News &#124; SCI/TECH &#124; Fantastic fungus find|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/869808.stm|access-date=2022-12-26|website=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>
The largest ] may be a ] of the ] '']''. One genetically constant ] has been found over an area of more than 8.9&nbsp;km&sup2; (3.4 square miles), though it is unlikely that it is a true single organism with all parts of the mycelium connected.
A mushroom of this type in the ] in the ] of eastern ], U.S. was found to be the largest fungal colony in the world, spanning {{convert|8.9|km2|acre|abbr=on}} of area.<ref name="UW"/><ref name=ABCfungus>{{Cite web|title=Environment & Nature News - Humungous fungus: world's largest organism? - 10/04/2003|url=https://www.abc.net.au/science/news/enviro/EnviroRepublish_828525.htm|access-date=2022-12-26|website=www.abc.net.au}}</ref> This organism is estimated to be 2,400 years old. The fungus was written about in the April 2003 issue of the '']''. If this colony is considered a single organism, then it is the largest known organism in the world by area, and rivals the aspen grove "]" as the known organism with the highest living ]. It is not known, however, whether it is a single organism with all parts of the ] connected.<ref name=ABCfungus/> Approximations of the land area of the Oregon "humongous fungus" are {{convert|3.5|sqmi|sqkm}} ({{convert|2240|acre|ha}}, possibly weighing as much as 35,000 tons as the world's most massive living organism.<ref name="patton">{{cite web |author1=Vince Patton |title=Oregon Humongous Fungus Sets Record As Largest Single Living Organism On Earth (7 minute documentary video)|url=https://www.opb.org/television/programs/ofg/segment/oregon-humongous-fungus/ |publisher=Oregon Field Guide |access-date=23 September 2019 |date=12 February 2015}}</ref>


A spatial genetic analysis estimated that a specimen of ''Armillaria ostoyae'' growing over {{convert|91|acre|ha}} in northern ], United States weighs 440 ]s (4 x 10<sup>5</sup> kg).<ref name="Anderson">{{Cite journal
===Microorganisms===
| last = Anderson | first = A. |author2=Sand, C. |author3=Petchey, F. |author4=Worthy, T. H.
The largest ] ever discovered is '']'', found in the ] of ] in the ]. At 0.5 mm it is visible to the naked eye and up to a million times the size of typical bacterium. The largest ] is the ], with mature particles of 400 ] in diameter (]), 800,000 ] and 900 ]s. Later research suggested that it could be up to 800 nm long, 1.2 ] and 1260 ]s.
| title = Faunal extinction and human habitation in New Caledonia: Initial results and implications of new research at the Pindai Caves
| journal = Journal of Pacific Archaeology | volume = 1 | issue = 1 | pages = 89–109
| year = 2010 | hdl = 10289/5404
}}</ref><ref name="daley">{{cite web |author1=Jason Daley |title=This humongous fungus is as massive as three blue whales: A new estimate suggests this mushroom is 2,500 years old and weighs 440 tons |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mushroom-massive-three-blue-whales-180970549/ |publisher=Smithsonian.com |access-date=23 September 2019 |date=15 October 2018}}</ref>


In '']'', each individual mushroom (the fruiting body, similar to a flower on a plant) has only a {{convert|5|cm|in|abbr=on}} stipe, and a pileus up to {{convert|12.5|cm|in|abbr=on}} across. There are many other fungi which produce a larger individual size mushroom. The largest known fruiting body of a fungus is a specimen of '']'' (formerly ''Fomitiporia ellipsoidea'') found on ].<ref name=BBCFungalFruitingBody>Walker, Matt. (2011-08-01) . Bbc.co.uk</ref> The fruiting body masses up to {{convert|500|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name=ScienceFruitingBody>{{Cite journal | last1 = Dai | first1 = Y. C. | last2 = Cui | first2 = B. K. | doi = 10.1016/j.funbio.2011.06.008 | title = Fomitiporia ellipsoidea has the largest fruiting body among the fungi | journal = Fungal Biology | volume = 115 | issue = 9 | pages = 813–814 | year = 2011 | pmid = 21872178}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1= Cui|first1= Bao-Kai|last2= Decock|first2= Cony|year= 2013|title= ''Phellinus castanopsidis'' sp. nov (Hymenochaetaceae) from southern China, with preliminary phylogeny based on rDNA sequences|journal=Mycological Progress|volume=12|issue=2|pages= 341–351|doi= 10.1007/s11557-012-0839-5|bibcode= 2013MycPr..12..341C|s2cid= 17570036}}</ref>
==Extinct creatures==
], shown here as depicted in the film '']'', is the tallest and heaviest dinosaur known from a complete skeleton.]]
Some of the largest organisms ever to have existed have now died out. Most of them ]s, the creatures grew to enormous sizes. The tallest and heaviest dinosaur known from a complete ] is the '']'' (now ''Giraffatitan'') which was discovered in ] between 1907&ndash;1912, and is now mounted in the ] of ]. It is 12 m (38 ft) tall, and probably weighed between 30,000&ndash;60,000 kg (30&ndash;65 tons). The longest is the 27 m (89 ft) long '']'' which was discovered in ], and mounted in ]'s ] in 1907.


Until ''P. ellipsoideus'' replaced it, the largest individual fruit body came from '']''. ''R. ulmarius'' can grow up to {{convert|284|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, {{convert|1.66|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall, {{convert|1.46|m|ft|abbr=on}} across, and has a circumference of up to {{convert|4.9|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
There are bigger dinosaurs, but they are known from only a small handful of ]s. The current record holders all date from the 1970s or later, and include the massive '']'', which may have weighed 80,000&ndash;100,000 kg (90&ndash;110 tons); the longest, the 40 m (130 ft) long '']''; and the tallest, the 18 m (60 ft) '']'', which could have reached into a 6th-floor window.


===Lichen===
The largest ] was the ''] stirtoni'', measuring three metres tall and weighing half a tonne. The ], from the ] (165-155 million years ago), is thought to have been the largest ] to have ever lived, with estimates of some growing to 20-22 m (66 to 72 feet) in length.
'']'' is among the largest lichens in the world. The ] of ''U. mammulata'' is usually {{convert|4|to|15|cm|in|abbr=on}} in diameter, but specimens have been known to reach {{convert|63|cm|ft|adj=on}} in the ] of ].<ref name=Brodo>{{cite book | last = Brodo | first = Irwin | title = Lichens of North America | publisher = Yale University Press | location = New Haven | year = 2001 | isbn = 978-0-300-08249-4 }}</ref>

The longest lichen is '']'', which may grow to exceed {{convert|20|feet}} in length.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Usnea longissima'' |url=https://www.lichen.com/bigpix/Ulongissima.html |website=lichen.com |publisher=Lichens of North America |access-date=10 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503045319/https://www.lichen.com/bigpix/Ulongissima.html |archive-date=3 May 2012}}</ref>

==Protists==
]'', the largest species of giant kelp|283x283px]]
(Note: the group ] is not used in current taxonomy.)

===Amoebozoans (])===
:Among the organisms that are not ], the largest are the ]s, such as '']'', some of which can reach a diameter over {{convert|12|in|cm|abbr=on|order=flip}}.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630192009/http://waynesword.palomar.edu/slime1.htm |date=2015-06-30 }}. Waynesword.palomar.edu</ref> These organisms are ], but they are ].

===Euglenozoans (])===
:Some ]s, such as certain species of '']'', reach lengths of 400 ].<ref name = ProtistServer>
{{cite web
|title = Protist Images: Euglena gigas
|work = Protist Information Server
|year = 2004
|url = http://protist.i.hosei.ac.jp/PDB/Images/Mastigophora/Euglena/gigas/index.html}}</ref>

===Rhizarians (])===
:The largest species traditionally considered ] are giant ]s like ]ns. One such species, the ] '']'', can attain a size of {{convert|20|cm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-10-10|title=The 27 Best Deep-Sea Species: #22 Xenophyophores &#124; Deep Sea News|url=https://www.deepseanews.com/2008/10/the-27-best-deep-sea-species-22-xenophyophores/|access-date=2022-12-26|website=www.deepseanews.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Alveolates (])===
:The largest ]s, such as '']'', can attain a length over {{convert|4|mm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Micscape Microscopy and Microscope Magazine|url=http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artoct98/spiro.html|access-date=2022-12-26|website=www.microscopy-uk.org.uk}}</ref>

===Stramenopiles (])===
:The largest ] are ] from the northwestern Pacific. The floating stem of ''] pyrifera'' can grow to a height of over {{convert|45|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Discover|url=https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover.html|access-date=2022-12-26|website=www.nhm.ac.uk|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Giant kelp|url=https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/giant-kelp|access-date=2022-12-26|website=www.montereybayaquarium.org}}</ref>
:Macrocystis also qualifies as the largest ], the largest ], and the largest protist generally.

==Bacteria==
The largest known species of ] is named '']'', which grows to {{convert|1|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wong |first=Carissa |title=Largest known bacteria in the world are visible to the naked eye |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2325909-largest-known-bacteria-in-the-world-are-visible-to-the-naked-eye/ |access-date=2022-06-24 |website=New Scientist |language=en-US}}</ref> making it visible to the naked eye and also about five thousand times the size of more typical ].<ref name="science1">{{cite web|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/largest-bacterium-ever-discovered-has-unexpectedly-complex-cells |first = Elizabeth |last = Pennisi|author-link = Elizabeth Pennisi|title=Largest bacterium ever discovered has unexpectedly complex cells |date=|work=]|publisher=science.org|accessdate=2022-02-24|language=en}}</ref> ] described it as possessing the "size and shape of a human ]."<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-06-23 |title=Record bacterium discovered as long as human eyelash |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61911817 |access-date=2022-06-24}}</ref> ] published a new paper on the bacterium on June 23, 2022.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Volland |first1=Jean-Marie |last2=Gonzalez-Rizzo |first2=Silvina |last3=Gros |first3=Olivier |last4=Tyml |first4=Tomáš |last5=Ivanova |first5=Natalia |last6=Schulz |first6=Frederik |last7=Goudeau |first7=Danielle |last8=Elisabeth |first8=Nathalie H. |last9=Nath |first9=Nandita |last10=Udwary |first10=Daniel |last11=Malmstrom |first11=Rex R. |date=2022-06-24 |title=A centimeter-long bacterium with DNA contained in metabolically active, membrane-bound organelles |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abb3634 |journal=Science |language=en |volume=376 |issue=6600 |pages=1453–1458 |doi=10.1126/science.abb3634 |pmid=35737788 |bibcode=2022Sci...376.1453V |s2cid=249990020 |issn=0036-8075}}</ref> According to a study coauthored by Jean-Marie Volland, a marine biologist and scientist at California's Laboratory for Research in Complex Systems, and an affiliate at the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, ''T. magnifica'' can grow up to 2 centimeters long.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Amarachi Orie |date=June 23, 2022 |title=World's largest bacterium discovered is the size of a human eyelash |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/23/world/worlds-largest-bacteria-magnifica-intl-scli-scn/index.html |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=CNN}}</ref>

*'''Cyanobacteria'''
:One of the largest "]" is '']'', whose filamentous cells can be 50 μm wide.<ref name = Stal2007>{{Cite book|last = Stal|first = Lucas J.|year = 2007|contribution = Diversity and Versatility, Clues to Life in Extreme Environments|title = Algae and Cyanobacteria in Extreme Environments|series = Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology|volume = 11, Part 7|editor = Seckbach, J.|pages = |place = Dordrecht, The Netherlands|publisher = Springer|doi = 10.1007/978-1-4020-6112-7_36|isbn = 978-1-4020-6111-0|url = https://archive.org/details/algaecyanobacter0000unse/page/659}}</ref>

==Viruses==
]
The largest virus on record is '']'', with the length of 4 micrometres, comparable to the typical size of a bacterium and large enough to be seen in light microscopes. It was discovered in 2018 (being mistaken for ]s beforehand), having been found on an ] in the genus '']''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Barthélémy |first1=Roxane-Marie |title=Serendipitous Discovery in a Marine Invertebrate (Phylum Chaetognatha) of the Longest Giant Viruses Reported till Date |journal=Biology |date=8 January 2019}}</ref> Prior to this discovery, the largest virus was the peculiar virus genus '']'', which have a size of approximately 1 ] and whose genome contains 1,900,000 to 2,500,000 base pairs of DNA.<ref name="Brumfiel">{{cite news | url=https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2013/07/18/203298244/worlds-biggest-virus-may-have-ancient-roots | title=World's Biggest Virus May Have Ancient Roots | work=National Public Radio | date=18 July 2013 | access-date=18 July 2013 | author=Brumfiel, Geoff}}</ref>

'']'' infects ] specifically, however '']'' infects '']'' ].


==See also== ==See also==
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==References==
===Notes===
{{Notelist}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist|35em}}

== External links ==
* Melissa Breyer. ] April 28, 2015
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Latest revision as of 22:22, 30 December 2024

List of largest organisms on Earth
Although it appears to be multiple trees, Pando is a clonal colony of an individual quaking aspen with an interconnected root system. It is widely held to be the world's most massive single organism.

This article lists the largest organisms for various types of life and mostly considers extant species, which found on Earth can be determined according to various aspects of an organism's size, such as: mass, volume, area, length, height, or even genome size. Some organisms group together to form a superorganism (such as ants or bees), but such are not classed as single large organisms. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest structure composed of living entities, stretching 2,000 km (1,200 mi) but contains many organisms of many types of species.

When considering singular entities, the largest organisms are clonal colonies which can spread over large areas. Pando, a clonal colony of the quaking aspen tree, is widely considered to be the largest such organism by mass. Even if such colonies are excluded, trees retain their dominance of this listing, with the giant sequoia being the most massive tree. In 2006, a huge clonal colony of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica was discovered south of the island of Ibiza. At 8 kilometres (5 mi) across, and estimated at 100,000 years old, it may be one of the largest and oldest clonal colonies on Earth.

Among animals, the largest species are all marine mammals, specifically whales. The blue whale is believed to be the largest animal to have ever lived. The living land animal classification is also dominated by mammals, with the African bush elephant being the largest of these.

Plants

Main article: List of largest plants

The largest single-stem tree by wood volume and mass is the giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), native to Sierra Nevada and California; it typically grows to a height of 70–85 m (230–280 ft) and 5–7 m (16–23 ft) in diameter.

The largest organism in the world, according to mass, is the aspen tree whose colonies of clones can grow up to 8 kilometres (5 mi) in size. The largest such colony is Pando, in the Fishlake National Forest in Utah.

A form of flowering plant that far exceeds Pando as the largest organism on Earth in area and potentially also mass, is the giant marine plant, Posidonia australis, living in Shark Bay, Australia. Its length is about 180 km (112 mi) and it covers an area of 200 km (77 sq mi). It is also among the oldest known clonal plants.

Another giant marine plant of the genus Posidonia, Posidonia oceanica discovered in the Mediterranean near the Balearic Islands, Spain may be the oldest living organism in the world, with an estimated age of 100,000 years.

The largest individual flower in the world is Rafflesia arnoldii, while the flowering plant with the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world is Amorphophallus titanum. Both are native to Sumatra in Indonesia.

Green algae

Green algae are photosynthetic unicellular and multicellular green plants that are related to land plants. The thallus of the unicellular mermaid's wineglass, Acetabularia, can grow to several inches (perhaps 0.1 to 0.2 m) in length. The fronds of the similarly unicellular, and invasive Caulerpa taxifolia can grow up to a foot (0.3 m) long.

Animals

The blue whale is the largest animal alive today.
Bruhathkayosaurus is potentially the largest animal to have walked the earth.
This section is an excerpt from Largest and heaviest animals. Clockwise from top left: an African bush elephant, the largest extant terrestrial animal; a blue whale, the largest animal ever to exist; and a colossal squid, the largest invertebrate

The largest animal currently alive is the blue whale. The maximum recorded weight was 190 tonnes (209 US tons) for a specimen measuring 27.6 metres (91 ft), whereas longer ones, up to 33 metres (108 ft), have been recorded but not weighed. It is estimated that this individual could have a mass of 250 tonnes or more. The longest non-colonial animal is the lion's mane jellyfish (37 m, 120 ft).

In 2023, paleontologists estimated that the extinct whale Perucetus, discovered in Peru, may have outweighed the blue whale, with a mass of 85 to 340 t (94–375 short tons; 84–335 long tons). However, more recent studies suggest this whale was much smaller than previous estimates putting its weight at 60 to 113 tonnes. While controversial, estimates for the weight of the sauropod Bruhathkayosaurus suggest it was around 110–170 tons, with the highest estimate being 240 tons, if scaled with Patagotitan, although actual fossil remains no longer exist, and that estimation is based on described dimensions in 1987. In April 2024, Ichthyotitan severnensis was established as a valid shastasaurid taxon and is considered both the largest marine reptile ever discovered and the largest macropredator ever discovered. The Lilstock specimen was estimated to be around 26 metres (85 ft) whilst the Aust specimen was an even more impressive 30 to 35 metres (98 to 115 ft) in length. Whilst no weight estimates was made as of yet, Ichthyotitan would have easily rivalled or surpassed the blue whale. The upper estimates of weight for these prehistoric animals would have easily rivaled or exceeded the largest rorquals and sauropods.

The African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) is the largest living land animal. A native of various open habitats in sub-Saharan Africa, males weigh about 6.0 tonnes (13,200 lb) on average. The largest elephant ever recorded was shot in Angola in 1974. It was a male measuring 10.67 metres (35.0 ft) from trunk to tail and 4.17 metres (13.7 ft) lying on its side in a projected line from the highest point of the shoulder, to the base of the forefoot, indicating a standing shoulder height of 3.96 metres (13.0 ft). This male had a computed weight of 10.4 to 12.25 tonnes.

Fungi

Armillaria ostoyae
Main article: Largest fungal fruit bodies

The largest living fungus may be a honey fungus of the species Armillaria ostoyae. A mushroom of this type in the Malheur National Forest in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon, U.S. was found to be the largest fungal colony in the world, spanning 8.9 km (2,200 acres) of area. This organism is estimated to be 2,400 years old. The fungus was written about in the April 2003 issue of the Canadian Journal of Forest Research. If this colony is considered a single organism, then it is the largest known organism in the world by area, and rivals the aspen grove "Pando" as the known organism with the highest living biomass. It is not known, however, whether it is a single organism with all parts of the mycelium connected. Approximations of the land area of the Oregon "humongous fungus" are 3.5 square miles (9.1 km) (2,240 acres (910 ha), possibly weighing as much as 35,000 tons as the world's most massive living organism.

A spatial genetic analysis estimated that a specimen of Armillaria ostoyae growing over 91 acres (37 ha) in northern Michigan, United States weighs 440 tons (4 x 10 kg).

In Armillaria ostoyae, each individual mushroom (the fruiting body, similar to a flower on a plant) has only a 5 cm (2.0 in) stipe, and a pileus up to 12.5 cm (4.9 in) across. There are many other fungi which produce a larger individual size mushroom. The largest known fruiting body of a fungus is a specimen of Phellinus ellipsoideus (formerly Fomitiporia ellipsoidea) found on Hainan Island. The fruiting body masses up to 500 kg (1,100 lb).

Until P. ellipsoideus replaced it, the largest individual fruit body came from Rigidoporus ulmarius. R. ulmarius can grow up to 284 kg (626 lb), 1.66 m (5.4 ft) tall, 1.46 m (4.8 ft) across, and has a circumference of up to 4.9 m (16 ft).

Lichen

Umbilicaria mammulata is among the largest lichens in the world. The thallus of U. mammulata is usually 4 to 15 cm (1.6 to 5.9 in) in diameter, but specimens have been known to reach 63-centimetre (2.07 ft) in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

The longest lichen is Usnea longissima, which may grow to exceed 20 feet (6.1 m) in length.

Protists

Macrocystis pyrifera, the largest species of giant kelp

(Note: the group Protista is not used in current taxonomy.)

Amoebozoans (Amoebozoa)

Among the organisms that are not multicellular, the largest are the slime molds, such as Physarum polycephalum, some of which can reach a diameter over 30 cm (12 in). These organisms are unicellular, but they are multinucleate.

Euglenozoans (Euglenozoa)

Some euglenophytes, such as certain species of Euglena, reach lengths of 400 μm.

Rhizarians (Rhizaria)

The largest species traditionally considered protozoa are giant amoeboids like foraminiferans. One such species, the xenophyophore Syringammina fragilissima, can attain a size of 20 cm (7.9 in).

Alveolates (Alveolata)

The largest ciliates, such as Spirostomum, can attain a length over 4 mm (0.16 in).

Stramenopiles (Stramenopila)

The largest stramenopiles are giant kelp from the northwestern Pacific. The floating stem of Macrocystis pyrifera can grow to a height of over 45 m (148 ft).
Macrocystis also qualifies as the largest brown alga, the largest chromist, and the largest protist generally.

Bacteria

The largest known species of bacterium is named Thiomargarita magnifica, which grows to 1 cm (0.39 in) in length, making it visible to the naked eye and also about five thousand times the size of more typical bacteria. BBC News described it as possessing the "size and shape of a human eyelash." Science published a new paper on the bacterium on June 23, 2022. According to a study coauthored by Jean-Marie Volland, a marine biologist and scientist at California's Laboratory for Research in Complex Systems, and an affiliate at the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, T. magnifica can grow up to 2 centimeters long.

  • Cyanobacteria
One of the largest "blue green algae" is Lyngbya, whose filamentous cells can be 50 μm wide.

Viruses

A collection of viruses, including M. horridgei - the largest virus

The largest virus on record is Megaklothovirus horridgei, with the length of 4 micrometres, comparable to the typical size of a bacterium and large enough to be seen in light microscopes. It was discovered in 2018 (being mistaken for bristles beforehand), having been found on an arrow worm in the genus Spadella. Prior to this discovery, the largest virus was the peculiar virus genus Pandoravirus, which have a size of approximately 1 micrometer and whose genome contains 1,900,000 to 2,500,000 base pairs of DNA.

Pandoravirus infects amoebas specifically, however Megaklothovirus infects Spadella arrow worms.

See also

Records
World records
People
Sporting records
Athletics
Weightlifting
In Australia
In the US
In India
National records
Motion records
Speed
Vehicle
Distance
Endurance
Structures
Physical phenomena

References

Notes

  1. The organism sizes listed are frequently considered "outsized" and are not in the normal size range for the respective group.

Citations

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External links

Records
World records
People
Sporting records
Athletics
Weightlifting
In Australia
In the US
In India
National records
Motion records
Speed
Vehicle
Distance
Endurance
Structures
Physical phenomena
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