Birds ended reign of giant insects
Baku, June 23 (AZERTAC). Scientists at the University of California in Santa Cruz have found why insects got smaller despite rising oxygen levels about 150 million years ago.
Giant insects ruled the prehistoric skies during periods when Earth’s atmosphere was rich in oxygen. They reached their biggest sizes about 300 million years ago during the late Carboniferous and early Permian periods. This was the reign of the predatory griffinflies, giant dragonfly-like insects with wingspans of up to 28 inches (70 cm).
The leading theory attributes their large size to high oxygen concentrations in the atmosphere - over 30 percent compared to 21 percent today - which allowed giant insects to get enough oxygen through the tiny breathing tubes that insects use instead of lungs.
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