SMRTR Science & EngineeringApr 6, 2026Nautilus

What Happened to the Ancient Bug Giants of 300 Million Years Ago?

SMRTR summary

Ancient Earth hosted giant insects like 28-inch wingspan griffinflies during the Carboniferous period 300 million years ago when oxygen levels reached 30 percent. New research using electron microscopy revealed these mega-insects could have survived at today's lower oxygen levels, contradicting theories that oxygen availability limited insect size through their breathing tube capacity.

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