Did anyone see in the new the other day about the 8 ft long scorpion that was found in Germany How is it that bugs after gotten smaller through out the years I dont understand
2007-12-02 11:01:59 · 10 answers · asked by unknown 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
some say that gravity on earth has changed. so it was eaiser for larger animals to get around.
2007-12-02 12:45:56 · answer #1 · answered by Fancie 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Depends on if you believe in Jesus and magic or science and evolution.
My vote goes for evolution. The scorpion was aquatic so if I had to take a guess I would say that when it left the water it was no longer top dog so it evolved to be smaller and less noticeable. It also probably had a hard time adapting to terrestrial life and possibly shrunk as a matter of food and need vs. supply. Just speculation though since that's about all you can do with a 1 million plus year old bug.
2007-12-02 11:07:04 · answer #2 · answered by Flavor Vortex 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The size of land invertebrates is limited by their respiration system. The creature you mentioned was actually a sea scorpion, so it breathed through gills. Land invertebrates in the past were able to grow much larger than they can today due to higher levels of oxygen in the atmosphere - for example, during the late Carboniferous period, there lived a dragonfly called Meganeura which had a 2.5 foot wingspan.
2007-12-03 00:27:54 · answer #3 · answered by The Wise Wolf 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Some research indicates that the size differences is due to the reduction in the Earths oxygen level.
Simply put, a bugs respiration system can only move oxygen so far, due to it's design. In a higher level of oxygen, the bugs can get bigger because thier respiration system can move the oxygen farther.
There have been experiments that replicated the oxygen levels of pre-Jurassic Earth, which is about 40% Oxygen. (compared to todays levels of around 20%)
In the experiment, the insects grew on average three times thier normal size.
2007-12-02 15:13:56 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Like all animals, bugs can only grow as large as their food source allows. Bugs need flowers and there might be less flowers now that us humans have built so much.
Or they haven't gotten smaller and you've just gotten bigger.
2007-12-02 11:14:23 · answer #5 · answered by Porch 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Natural selection weeded out the big ones, for whatever reason. If could be that they were easier targets for predators, or they didn't have enough food to support their large metabolism, so they shrank to accommodate.
Hope that helps.
2007-12-02 11:06:08 · answer #6 · answered by Cameron L 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Im not really sure, but i think they just got smaller through evolution to adapt to their environment, and there was no need to to be that large anymore....
2007-12-02 11:05:21 · answer #7 · answered by Murderface 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Simple, evolution.
2007-12-02 11:04:10 · answer #8 · answered by Dee 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is that the same as people shrinking?
2007-12-02 11:04:48 · answer #9 · answered by theoriginalwingding 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
fly spray killed them all off.
2007-12-02 12:24:52 · answer #10 · answered by the truht 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋