How Cockroaches Outperformed Dinosaurs, Survived the Effects of Asteroid Collisions

cockroach aka the cockroach became one of the species that managed to survive when asteroid crashed into the earth and wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. The uniqueness of the body and the eggs are the key.

The impact of the large asteroid and the earth, which caused the impact mark known as the Chicxiqlub crater, in Mexico, caused an earthquake and triggered a volcanic eruption thousands of kilometers from the incident site.

No doubt, three quarters of the plants and animals on Earth died, including the dinosaurs. Then, how do cockroaches survive the incident?

Quoted from Live Sciencescientists say cockroaches are equipped with unique abilities that can make them survive catastrophic asteroid impacts.

Cockroaches are insects that can make their bodies very flat. This gave him the opportunity to get into a tighter place and hide practically anywhere, including hiding from the asteroid impact at that time.

When the asteroid hit, the temperature on Earth’s surface was so hot that many animals had nowhere to escape. Meanwhile, cockroaches can get into small crevices in the soil which can provide excellent protection from the heat.

However, cockroaches are designed unlike other insects that only eat one particular plant. It belongs to the type of omnivorous or all-eating animal which means that it makes it easier for it to survive in the midst of difficult post-collision times.

In addition, another helpful trait is that cockroaches reproduce by laying eggs in the form of small protective boxes. These cockroach eggs, which look like dried beans, are referred to as oothecae which means ‘egg box’.

As well as casing In cell phones, oothecae are tough and protect their contents from physical damage and other threats, such as floods and droughts. Some of the cockroaches might even come out of the eggs after waiting for the Chicxulub disaster to end.

Some experts also attribute the ability of this cockroach to the truth of Darwin’s theory, that what can survive is not the strongest, but the most adaptive (survival of the fittest).

Similarly, modern cockroaches are small animals that can live anywhere, from the hot tropics to some of the coldest parts of the world. Scientists estimate there are more than 4,000 species of cockroaches today.

Some of these species often live with humans and become pests. Once cockroaches settle in a building, it is difficult to get rid of every tiny crack of these insects and their oothecae. When large numbers of cockroaches are present in unclean places, they can spread disease.

The Conversation revealed that the greatest threat of cockroaches to human health is the allergens produced by this species which can trigger asthma attacks and allergic reactions in some people.

Despite their position as pests that must be controlled, cockroaches are studied in terms of movement and body design. This is expected to give rise to ideas for making better robots.

In fact, cockroaches are difficult to control because they are resistant to many insecticides and have the same abilities as their dinosaur ancestors.

[Gambas:Video CNN]

(ttf/arh)

[Gambas:Video CNN]

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