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Concept
Meganeura
Summary
Meganeura is a genus of extinct insects from the Late Carboniferous (approximately 300 million years ago). They resembled and are related to the present-day dragonflies and damselflies, and were predatory, with their diet mainly consisting of other insects. The genus belongs to the Meganeuridae, a family including other similarly giant dragonfly-like insects ranging from the Late Carboniferous to Middle Permian. With a wingspan ranging from to over , M. monyi is one of the largest-known flying insect species.
Fossils of Meganeura were first discovered in Late Carboniferous (Stephanian) Coal Measures of Commentry, France in 1880. In 1885, French paleontologist Charles Brongniart described and named the fossil "Meganeura" (large-nerved), which refers to the network of veins on the insect's wings. Another fine fossil specimen was found in 1979 at Bolsover in Derbyshire. The holotype is housed in the National Museum of Natural History, in Paris. Despite being the iconic "giant dragonfly", fossils of Meganeura are poorly preserved in comparison to other meganeurids.
Research on close relatives Meganeurula and Meganeurites suggest that Meganeura was adapted to open habitats, and similar in behaviour to extant hawkers. The eyes of Meganeura were likely enlarged relative to body size. Meganeura had spines on the tibia and tarsi sections of the legs, which would have functioned as a "flying trap" to capture prey. An engineering examination estimated that the mass of the largest specimens with wingspans over 70 cm to be 100 to 150 grams. The analysis also suggested that Meganeura would be susceptible to overheating.
There has been some controversy as to how insects of the Carboniferous period were able to grow so large.
Oxygen levels and atmospheric density. The way oxygen is diffused through the insect's body via its tracheal breathing system puts an upper limit on body size, which prehistoric insects seem to have well exceeded. It was originally proposed by that Meganeura was able to fly only because the atmosphere of Earth at that time contained more oxygen than the present 20 percent.
Official source
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