Horrors of the Carboniferous forest
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if giant super-sized bugs roamed the Earth? It might seem like an alien-like dream, but 330 million years ago it would have been a reality! Arthropleura, Megarachne, Meganeura, and Pulmonoscorpius were just some of the giant arthropods that ruled the Earth during the Carboniferous Period. So come along with us to learn about the rise and fall of arthropod gigantism!
Made by
I like Big Bugs and I cannot Lie Productions
for History of Life at the University of Galway:
Mia Forbes: Presenter, Narrator and Researcher
Michael Hession: Illustrator and Researcher
Fiona Ihde: Director and Editor
Ryan Shiels: Narrator and Animator
Fiona Sobolewski Bravo: Writer, Researcher and Animator
We hope you enjoy watching!
Images from:
https://www.vecteezy.com/vector-art/1...
https://www.clipartmax.com/middle/m2i...
Images also sourced from Pixabay, credits to:
Wolfgang Eckert from Pixabay
OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
Angeles Balaguer from Pixabay
Bernd from Pixabay
All other illustrations and animations are original content created by us.
Sound from:
https://freemusicarchive.org/
https://www.zapsplat.com/
References:
Clapham, M.E. & Karr, J.A. (2012) Environmental and biotic controls on the evolutionary history of insect body size. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(27), 10927–10930. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1204026109
Brand, U., Davis, A.M., Shaver, K.K., Blamey, N.J., Heizler, M. & Lécuyer, C. (2021) Atmospheric oxygen of the Paleozoic. Earth-Science Reviews, 216, 103560. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2...
Davies, N.S., Garwood, R.J., McMahon, W.J., Schneider, J.W. & Shillito, A.P. (2021) The largest arthropod in Earth history: insights from newly discovered Arthropleura remains (Serpukhovian Stainmore Formation, Northumberland, England). Journal of the Geological Society, 179(3). https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2021-115
Forde, A., Jacobsen, A., Dugon, M.M. & Healy, K. (2022) Scorpion Species with Smaller Body Sizes and Narrower Chelae Have the Highest Venom Potency. Toxins, 14(3), 219. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins14030219
Kaiser, A., Klok, C.J., Socha, J.J., Lee, W.K., Quinlan, M.C. & Harrison, J.F. (2007) Increase in tracheal investment with beetle size supports hypothesis of oxygen limitation on insect gigantism. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104(32), 13198–13203. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0611544104
Verberk, W.C.E.P. & Bilton, D.T. (2011) Can Oxygen Set Thermal Limits in an Insect and Drive Gigantism? PLoS ONE, 6(7), e22610. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone....