Giant prehistoric insects didn’t need high oxygen after all, study finds

New research challenges long-held belief that high oxygen enabled giant prehistoric insects, shifting focus to predators and physical limits. | Contesto: cronaca

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• Giant prehistoric insects didn’t need high oxygen after all, study finds

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A groundbreaking study has overturned decades of scientific consensus on why giant dragonfly-like insects, with wingspans exceeding two feet, once ruled the skies of ancient Earth. Contrary to the long-standing theory that high atmospheric oxygen levels were essential for their enormous size, researchers have found that insect flight muscles are not constrained by oxygen availability. The findings, published in a recent peer-reviewed journal, suggest that the insects’ breathing systems possess ample capacity to support larger bodies even under modern oxygen conditions, leaving scientists searching for new explanations for their gigantism. For years, the prevailing hypothesis held that the Carboniferous and Permian periods, when oxygen concentrations reached up to 35 percent—compared to today’s 21 percent—enabled insects to grow to extraordinary sizes. The logic seemed straightforward: insects breathe through a network of tiny tubes called tracheae, which deliver oxygen directly to tissues. Larger bodies, it was assumed, required higher oxygen to overcome diffusion limits. However, the new study, conducted by a team of biologists and biomechanics experts, directly tested this assumption by measuring oxygen delivery in modern insects and modeling the constraints on prehistoric species. Using advanced imaging and physiological experiments, the researchers discovered that insect flight muscles are far more efficient at extracting oxygen than previously believed. Even at current oxygen levels, the tracheal system has significant excess capacity, meaning that oxygen alone was not the limiting factor for size. “We found that the breathing system of insects has plenty of room to expand,” the lead author explained. “This overturns the idea that oxygen was the key driver of gigantism. Something else must have been at work.” The study’s conclusions have sent ripples through the paleontological community, prompting a re-evaluation of long-held assumptions about ancient ecosystems. The implications of this research extend beyond prehistoric entomology. Understanding why insects once grew so large could shed light on evolutionary pressures and environmental factors that...

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Categoria: cronaca