The Age of Giant Insects

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Insects outnumber humans by a lot and we only like to think we're in charge because we're bigger than they are. But insects and other arthropods weren’t always so small. About 315 million years ago during the Carboniferous Period, they were not only abundant: they were enormous.

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[tyrantt-]

Australian insects: We are big!
Prehistoric insects: hold my oxygen

[ZeMarkKrazee]

“You know those cute little millipedes...?”
Me: “No. I have never known a cute millipede.”

[thirdeye]

"take a deep breath"
My athsma: "hello"

[edbouhl]

Someday a squid descendant may be lecturing about how the Age of the Hominids ended with an explosion of carbon dioxide levels that led in just a few million years to the Rise of the Octopods

[redrum]

Imagine a forrest fire with that much oxygen in the atmosphere! Wow

[DNTMEE]

Captain, we're going to need a bigger shoe.

[eddieking]

"I don't think a can of Raid is going to do it."

[nevermore]

"Cute little millipedes" try terrifying.

[dmenace]

I grew up in Darwin, in Australia's remote tropical north. There was a Dragonfly about 6 inches long, and yes it was green, so it looked like a military helicopter. There was also a Stick Insect about a foot long, it could fly and had crimson wings.

[ruebenaragon]

"A living carpet" thats a terrifying image for something with million legs 🦵

[andresbxtr]

The scientist at Arizona State NEED TO BE STOPPED. I refuse to live in a 50's monster movie just because they got carried away with oxygen tanks!

[electric_sway]

Learns of giant dinosaurs “OMG that is awesome”
Learns of giant insects “Ahh Heck No!!!”

[chromiakocosmos]

"Now imagine a giant centepede"
Other people: NOPE
Me: *I wanna ride on it's back*

[KQEDDeepLook]

You had us at Griffinflies. And spiracles. Great video!

[rockstar]

"Take a deep breath"

*does as instructed and ends up sneezing uncontrollably*

[HH-ddxq]

With how incomplete the fossil record is, it makes you wonder what other weird, giant insectoid creatures existed at that time that we have no idea about.

[agentbarton]

The thing that really hits me is the fact that there is a roughly 6 million year period between the extinction of arthropleura and meganeura. That's just absolutely wild to me. That means meganeura was flying around for millions of years longer than humans have even existed purely during the DECLINE of the age of insects. And the species itself was around for a whole lot longer than that. The sheer scale of time is really scary sometimes.

[snitcheyes]

You know how we have lots of museums with animatronic/robotic dinosaurs? Where's the museum of moving giant insects? I need this in my life!

[RosinGoblin]

I welcome our ant overloards with this giant bottle of spilled Coke

[Ren_zuki]

google: how do i build a flamethrower"