Is It Possible To Cultivate Huge Insects In Surroundings With High Oxygen Levels?

Insects have grown to massive sizes due to the excessive concentration of oxygen in prehistoric Earth. New experiments in raising modern insects in oxygen-enriched atmospheres have confirmed that dragonflies grow bigger with more oxygen, or hyperoxia. Increasing oxygen levels will not make them grow larger. Recent empirical findings support a link between oxygen and insect size, including most insects developing smaller body sizes in hypoxia, and some developing and evolving larger sizes in hyperoxia.

Giant insects might crawl on Earth or fly above it if there was just more oxygen in the air, scientists report. Roughly 300 million years ago, giant insects scuttled around and fluttered over. Biologists have grown super-size dragonflies that are 15% larger than normal by raising the insects, from start to finish, in chambers emulating Earth’s oxygen conditions 300 million years ago.

Oxygen constraints on body size may be stronger in aquatic environments, and oxygen toxicity may have actively selected for gigantism in the aquatic stages of Carboniferous. New experiments have shown that insects grow a bit larger when raised in a high-oxygen container, but this does not necessarily apply to sea arthropods. The oxygen content of the atmosphere does place a limit on how big insects can get. Dragonflies and beetles grew faster and bigger in a high-oxygen environment, while cockroaches grew slower and remained.

Previous theories about insect gigantism suggest that this rich oxygen environment allowed adult bugs to grow to ever larger sizes while still meeting their needs. If larger insects have higher critical PO2 values, this could provide a mechanism driving evolution of larger size in hyperoxia.

Do Things Grow Bigger With More Oxygen?

Raising a person in an atmosphere with higher oxygen levels would not lead to increased size, nor would their descendants evolve to be larger. This phenomenon applies to mammals, reptiles, and birds. In the past, elevated oxygen levels may have contributed to the larger sizes of certain animals. Studies indicate that both increased temperature and oxygen concentrations can stimulate faster and larger growth, particularly in insects, which have unique respiratory systems.

Though humans attain their oxygen intake needs at current levels, more oxygen could allow some animals to grow larger while maintaining adequate oxygen supply to their muscles. For example, spiders and cockroaches could expand in size due to improved oxygen intake through their trachea, while dragonflies might grow as large as hawks.

However, some geochemical evidence challenges the notion that oxygen levels were the primary factor for the giant sizes of many species, as insects are the main group whose size seems directly related to oxygen concentrations. Recent experiments with modern insects in oxygen-rich environments have confirmed that dragonflies increase in size with higher oxygen, a concept known as hyperoxia. On the other hand, mammals require substantial oxygen for movement and metabolism, with mammalian brain activity consuming a considerable portion of calories.

Around 300 million years ago, a sharp rise in atmospheric oxygen levels likely facilitated larger insect sizes; yet while higher oxygen may enhance performance, it does not necessarily correlate with increased size in mammals. There are indications that lower oxygen levels can support body size increases, raising notable questions about the relationship between oxygen and evolution across various species.

Why Can'T Giant Insects Exist?

Scientists have long puzzled over the absence of giant insects today, with new research pinpointing a critical bottleneck in their air pipes as the main reason. During the Paleozoic Era, high atmospheric oxygen levels allowed insects to grow much larger, overcoming the limitations imposed by their respiratory systems. However, around 260 million years ago, as fungi and microbes evolved to digest wood, insect sizes began to shrink.

The leading theory, which has persisted for about a century, suggests that atmospheric oxygen levels were over 30% at that time, compared to the current 21%, facilitating the existence of large species, such as dragonflies with hawk-sized wings and giant millipedes.

Despite this theory, there is no direct evidence linking high oxygen levels to the evolution of gigantic insects. The current low oxygen atmosphere is insufficient to support the oxygen demands of larger bodies, as insects lack lungs and rely on their blood primarily for nutrient transport rather than oxygen distribution. Consequently, their small breathing tubes are inadequate for delivering enough oxygen to sustain larger sizes.

Additional hypotheses suggest that exoskeleton strength might limit insect growth, as their structure may not support significantly larger forms. With current oxygen levels too low for prehistoric dinosaurs and the evolution of flying reptiles, the giant insects' ecological niches have vanished. Thus, while science fiction showcases enormous bugs, reality illustrates a world where such creatures cannot thrive due to fundamental biological and atmospheric constraints. Today, most insects are relatively small, a trait that has persisted for hundreds of millions of years.

Does More Oxygen Make Dragonflies Grow Bigger?

Recent experiments indicate that dragonflies grow larger in oxygen-enriched environments, known as hyperoxia. This discovery aligns with the belief that ancient giant dragonflies, which had wingspans of up to 70 centimeters (28 inches), thrived during periods of elevated atmospheric oxygen levels. Although higher oxygen levels are thought to have contributed to the gigantism of these insects, it has been demonstrated that simply increasing oxygen does not guarantee they will reach sizes comparable to ancient birds.

In controlled studies, modern dragonflies raised in hyperoxic atmospheres showed a size increase of 15 percent compared to those grown in normal oxygen conditions. For example, dragonflies from a hyperoxic chamber displayed wingspans of 4 inches, compared to the typical 3. 5 inches seen in a standard 21 percent oxygen environment. While larger sizes and faster growth are observed in dragonflies and beetles under elevated oxygen levels, other insects like cockroaches did not exhibit the same growth patterns.

Historically, around 300 million years ago, atmospheric oxygen levels rose to approximately 35 percent, which may have enabled larger insect evolution. This research contributes to understanding how ancient environmental conditions influenced insect size and will shed light on the evolutionary adaptations of insects over time. Overall, while hyperoxia plays a role in the size increase of modern dragonflies, their growth is also constrained by genetic factors and does not solely depend on oxygen levels.

Can We Create More Oxygen?

Currently, electrolysis is the prevalent method for generating oxygen from water, which requires electricity. However, inspired by nature, artificial photosynthesis devices can produce oxygen using sunlight and semiconductor materials coated with metallic catalysts, thus eliminating the need for electrical energy. NASA's MOXIE (Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment) demonstrates the feasibility of extracting oxygen from Mars' atmosphere, composed of 96% carbon dioxide, to supply breathable air or rocket propellant for astronauts.

The MIT-led MOXIE has been successfully converting Martian carbon dioxide into oxygen since February 2021, showcasing impressive performance under various conditions, including dust storms and extreme temperatures. A device about the size of a microwave aboard NASA's Perseverance rover has managed to generate around 10 minutes of breathable oxygen from the thin Martian atmosphere. Recent advancements suggest that scientists may utilize electron beams in plasma reactors to produce even more oxygen compactly.

On Earth, the oxygen in our atmosphere primarily results from photosynthesis, particularly from oceanic plankton, which produces around half the planet's oxygen. This emphasizes the importance of maintaining oxygen levels, as they are declining due to fossil fuel combustion and pollution. While the current production of oxygen on Mars is a technological breakthrough, further advancements could enhance oxygen generation using innovative methods inspired by Earth's natural processes.

What Caused These Insects To Grow So Large?

The large size of ancient insects is primarily attributed to high oxygen concentrations in the atmosphere, which exceeded 30 percent compared to today’s 21 percent. This surplus of oxygen enabled insects to efficiently deliver oxygen throughout their bodies via a network of tiny tubes called trachea, which function instead of lungs. Fossil evidence from over 300 million years ago showcases enormous insects like the dragonfly-like Meganeura monyi, with wingspans reaching up to 75 cm during the Carboniferous and Permian periods.

During this time, diverse insect families emerged, leading to many species attaining remarkable sizes. The existence of such giant insects raises questions about their growth, as today’s insects are significantly smaller. Factors contributing to their size included the absence of predatory birds, which allowed these insects to flourish without threats. Additionally, lower gravity and increased oxygen levels played crucial roles in their development.

While modern research shows that increased oxygen concentration can lead to larger size, it is also acknowledged that genetic factors must be in place. High oxygen levels facilitate insect growth, allowing them to develop efficiently without substantially increasing their metabolic rates. Even though today’s insects are smaller, the connection between atmospheric oxygen and insect size reveals the historical advantages offered by the conditions of ancient Earth. In summary, the combination of high oxygen availability and a lack of predators created an environment where insects could evolve to remarkable sizes during the Carboniferous period, a phenomenon still intriguing scientists today.

Do Cockroaches Grow Faster In Hyperoxia?

The team conducted experiments raising various insects, particularly cockroaches, under varying oxygen environments to assess developmental impacts. While dragonflies exhibited faster growth and increased size in hyperoxic conditions (excess oxygen), cockroaches showed slowed growth and failed to reach larger adult sizes. Specifically, the study focused on the Blatella germanica cockroaches and explored development under Paleozoic oxygen levels (12-31% O2). It was hypothesized that enhanced oxygen could improve metabolic efficiency, potentially leading to rapid evolution, though such changes were not strongly evident.

Further studies demonstrated that when modern insects were raised in oxygen-rich atmospheres, dragonflies indeed grew larger, confirming earlier findings. The research also evaluated the effects of chronic hypoxia and hyperoxia on various performance metrics across different temperatures. Significant alterations in tracheal morphology and display of distinct gas exchanges (DGCs) were observed, albeit with inconsistent results across the adaptive response for cockroaches, specifically Nauphoeta cinerea.

Despite the promising attributes of hyperoxia, the findings highlighted that growth rates and body sizes for cockroaches did not align with expectations; growth plateaued or regressed under higher oxygen concentrations above 31%. In all, findings indicated that ten out of twelve insects analyzed experienced size reductions in low oxygen environments. The complexity and variability of responses underline the need for further investigation into insect growth in relation to oxygen levels.

Why Were Ancient Bugs So Big?

Researchers have identified a key reason for the significant size of ancient insects compared to today’s smaller varieties. Over 300 million years ago, oxygen levels in the atmosphere ranged from 31 to 35 percent, which is higher than the current 21 percent. This surplus of oxygen allowed prehistoric insects to grow larger, as they received more energy per breath, facilitating bigger bodies. Another aspect of recent studies suggests that young insects had to adapt and grow larger to prevent oxygen poisoning.

Fossil evidence reveals the existence of giant insects, such as dragonfly-like creatures Meganeura monyi and Meganeuropsis permiana, which flew with wingspans of 75 cm during the Carboniferous and Permian periods.

The discovery highlights that atmospheric conditions played a crucial role in the extraordinary size of insects, as higher oxygen levels met their energy needs despite the limitations of their respiratory systems. In contrast, modern insects have developed size restrictions partly due to present oxygen levels. In this evolution, as oxygen levels decreased over time, the respiratory systems of insects struggled to provide adequate oxygen to their cells, resulting in smaller modern counterparts.

Notably, the eight-foot millipede Arthropleura Armata was the largest invertebrate known, existing alongside these giant insects. The research accentuates the relationships among atmospheric composition, insect size, and evolutionary adaptations, suggesting that a richer oxygen environment was key to the majestic sizes of these ancient species, allowing them to thrive before the emergence of birds and other evolutionary factors that contributed to their decline.

Would More Oxygen Make Bugs Bigger?

The relationship between atmospheric oxygen levels and insect size has long been a topic of interest, particularly regarding ancient insects that grew to massive proportions, such as giant dragonflies. Research indicates that increased oxygen availability in the atmosphere may have allowed insects to evolve larger body sizes without risking suffocation. During the Carboniferous period, it is believed the atmosphere had twice the present-day oxygen levels, promoting this gigantism.

Insects typically diminish in size when oxygen levels decrease and expand when oxygen concentrations rise. A significant factor in this phenomenon is the insect respiratory system, composed of tracheal tubes that transport oxygen.

Studies also show that modern insects, when raised in oxygen-enriched environments, grow larger, although this is not a straightforward cause-and-effect relationship. Instead, insects absorb oxygen through their body surfaces rather than lungs, which can influence their metabolic rates. While higher oxygen levels can theoretically support larger sizes, they are not the sole determinant.

Geochemical evidence raises questions about the extent to which elevated oxygen levels can entirely account for insect gigantism. Additionally, while oxygen concentration poses limitations on insect size, achieving significant size increases largely requires evolutionary adaptations. For instance, thinner tracheal systems in oxygen-rich environments could allow for more efficient oxygen distribution, enabling the insects to allocate resources more strategically.

Interestingly, increased oxygen does not guarantee indefinite growth and modern arthropods face limits despite The challenge posed by oxygen supply. The leading theory continues to point to oxygen surplus as a crucial factor in the evolution of ancient insects' sizes, yet contemporary studies reveal a complex interplay of environmental conditions affecting insect morphology. Overall, while higher oxygen levels were beneficial, multiple factors contribute to the growth potential of insects, maintaining the interest surrounding this evolutionary topic.

What Was The Largest Insect To Ever Exist?

Meganeuropsis permiana, the largest known giant bug from prehistory, is a distant relative of today's dragonflies. This massive insect could reach a wingspan of 28 inches and measure 17 inches in length. Insects, classified as arthropods, are the most abundant multicellular organisms globally, with over a million identified species. Among the contenders for the title of heaviest insect is the larval stage of the goliath beetle, Goliathus goliatus, which can weigh over 115 grams (4. 1 oz) and measure 11. 5 cm (4. 5 inches) long.

In January 2018, a fossil unearthed in northern England revealed what paleontologists now call "the biggest bug that ever lived," confirming Meganeuropsis as the largest insect known, with a wingspan of up to 75 cm (2. 5 feet) and a body length of approximately 47 cm (18. 5 inches). Before the existence of pterosaurs, birds, and bats, Meganeuropsis ruled the skies, thriving long before dinosaurs.

In addition to Meganeuropsis, scientists have also discovered other massive prehistoric insects, such as the griffinflies of the extinct order Meganisoptera. A recently published study detailed a nearly nine-foot-long, 110-pound millipede that lived approximately 326 million years ago. The largest living insects today include the atlas moth, the white witch moth, and the goliath beetle. The debate about the biggest insects continues, but Meganeuropsis permiana stands out as a fascinating example of prehistoric life’s diversity and size.

Are Insects Giants?

Around 300 million years ago, during the late Carboniferous and early Permian periods, Earth's atmosphere had about 35% oxygen, significantly higher than the current 21%. This elevated oxygen level is widely believed to have contributed to the existence of giant insects, although not all insects of that era were enormous. Insect physiologist Alexander Kaiser notes that approximately 10% of insects back then were large enough to be considered giants. These prehistoric insects were considerably bigger than their modern counterparts but were not as colossal as those depicted in science fiction.

Giant insects included species like the Titan Beetle, which can reach lengths of up to 16. 5 centimeters, and the Giant Weta and Goliath Beetle, measuring 11 and 12 centimeters respectively. The world's longest insect today is the giant Chinese stick insect (Phryganistria chinensis), discovered in 2014, which can grow nearly three inches in length. These insects are currently found in places like the Amazon rainforest and are valued for their roles in pollination, honey production, and medicinal uses.

The decline of giant insects is attributed to the reduction in atmospheric oxygen and the rise of birds, which likely outcompeted them. Additionally, research suggests that the respiratory systems of insects face bottlenecks as they increase in size, limiting their growth. Despite their massive past, contemporary giant insects are much smaller, thriving in specialized environments but unable to reach the enormous sizes of their ancient relatives. Insects remain critically important, comprising over half of all living organisms on Earth and playing essential roles in various ecosystems.

How Did Paleo-Oxygen Levels Influence The Evolution Of Insects?

John VandenBrooks from Arizona State University is investigating how ancient oxygen levels impacted insect evolution. The research focuses on modern insects raised in varying oxygen concentrations to explore this influence. It has been postulated that increased atmospheric oxygen (hyperoxia) during the late Paleozoic era facilitated the evolution of giant insects, with high oxygen partial pressures (aPO₂) enabling larger body sizes. This phenomenon potentially correlates with the aerodynamics of early flying insects, as a hyperdense atmospheric composition would have enhanced lift.

The existence of giant insects during this period supports the hypothesis that elevated oxygen levels were crucial for their body size evolution. The relationship between insect size and atmospheric oxygen appears to have changed when birds radiated, suggesting that biotic factors like predation and competition began to outweigh oxygen's influence.

Empirical studies provide evidence that links oxygen levels with insect size, proposing mechanisms for how enhanced tracheal oxygen delivery systems facilitated this growth. Dragonflies, in particular, exhibited greater growth rates and larger sizes under hyperoxic conditions, whereas cockroaches did not show similar increases in size. While oxygen availability may have historically constrained maximum insect sizes, it also significantly aided the transition of aquatic life onto land by reducing the effort needed to combat gravity.

Research analyzing insect fossil sizes over the past 500 million years indicates a positive correlation between rising atmospheric oxygen levels and increased insect sizes, with models estimating variation in oxygen levels ranging from 12% during the Triassic to as high as 31%. This evidence underscores the importance of oxygen in the evolutionary trajectory of insects.