More Oxygen = ?

[kryptix]

Somewhere a while ago on the internet I read that animals way back when were larger due to the earth having higher oxygen levels (does that make sense?) than it does today.

I really don't know anything about this so sorry if this topic is completely stupid, but If that is true has anyone tested this on any of their T's / other inverts? =P

 

[kryptix]

http://keelynet.com/interact/archive/00001979.htm

There is one site that mentions this.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

We've had this thread many, many times. Doing a forum search for "oxygen" should bring up the previous discussions.

I'm sorry, I don't remember enough details to add anything else. But they were some pretty long threads, so you should be able to find your answers.

 

[wedge07]

Many insects do have primitive lungs, i.e. book lungs, and cannot actively draw in any extra oxygen. Book lungs passively exchange oxygen with hemolymph in many arthropods. Because they cannot draw in an adequate supply of oxygen to support a larger body size they are somewhat limited. Earlier in our planets history many arthropods grew to great sizes due to the large amount of oxygen in the atmosphere. Many species now are limited because of a lack of oxygen and partially because a large body does not suite their current environment.

 

[Hilikus311]

Many insects do have primitive lungs, i.e. book lungs, and cannot actively draw in any extra oxygen. Book lungs passively exchange oxygen with hemolymph in many arthropods. Because they cannot draw in an adequate supply of oxygen to support a larger body size they are somewhat limited. Earlier in our planets history many arthropods grew to great sizes due to the large amount of oxygen in the atmosphere. Many species now are limited because of a lack of oxygen and partially because a large body does not suite their current environment.

I believe i saw a special on this topic on a show called "Monster Quest" were a bunch of natives in the Amazon i believe, kept making reports of GIANT Ts the size of a small dog! So the scientific debate went on about how/if they could get that large based upon there lung type and low oxygen levels. It was a pretty interesting show and well i would like to own a T that large one day instead of a dog

 

[Radamanthys]

People always say that insects were bigger just because there were more oxygen on the atmosphere. No, they could support a bigger size because of the oxygen. The max size they would reach is in their genes, and a T. Blondi will not grow to the size of a cow if you throw pure oxygen into its enclosure.

The more oxygen in atmosphere would let bigger insects to have the advantage of size without any problem. Today, the a bigger insect would suffocate, so the genes said "Hey, let's not grow that much shall we?". Okay, it's not like that. The bigger insects were getting killed and the smaller survived.

The biggest terrestrial arthropods in the world are located in Amazonia, here in Brazil. We have the largest beetle (Titanus Giganteus, 6,5"), the largest tarantula (Teraphosa Blondi or Lasiodora Parahybana, choose one) because there is more oxygen and food here.

I'm no expert, but i think that's about it.

 

[seanbond]

very interesting........

 

[Agent Jones]

Yes, even hooking your T up to an oxygen bar isn't going to make her grow to the size of your Aunt Sally because it's no longer in her genetic code to grow that large. Now maybe if you hooked up to an oxygen bar your very largest T and bred her to the second largest T and bred their largest offspring and so on and so forth.. ;P

 

[Transylvania]

This subject was brought up in my Biology class. According to my teacher, it could be possible to breed them to enormous sizes if kept in high-oxygen environments, but this kind of experiment (being essentially like evolution) would have to be done with quick-breeding species like beetles or flies - tarantulas would take way too long.
There really is no point or benefit to it anyway, so I doubt many scientists would try this.

 

[Radamanthys]

This subject was brought up in my Biology class. According to my teacher, it could be possible to breed them to enormous sizes if kept in high-oxygen environments, but this kind of experiment (being essentially like evolution) would have to be done with quick-breeding species like beetles or flies - tarantulas would take way too long.
There really is no point or benefit to it anyway, so I doubt many scientists would try this.

The only result would be a big, beautiful and VERY expensive to keep T that would die if let in our atmosphere, and would feed on chiuauas.

 

[wedge07]

I believe i saw a special on this topic on a show called "Monster Quest" were a bunch of natives in the Amazon i believe, kept making reports of GIANT Ts the size of a small dog! So the scientific debate went on about how/if they could get that large based upon there lung type and low oxygen levels. It was a pretty interesting show and well i would like to own a T that large one day instead of a dog

Ever seen a teacup chihuahua? A blondi could eat one of those.

 

[Radamanthys]

Ever seen a teacup chihuahua? A blondi could eat one of those.

LOL so true! I have to tell ya, my ex-girlfriend best friend had one of those. I don't know how many evil plans to kill it a ploted.
Some of them included big tarantulas, other includeds more simple things like the express way 1 block away... ;P

 

[gambite]

In one of the last threads on this someone brought up the point of oxygen being corrosive, so theoretically an atmosphere with more oxygen would kill modern-day T's, or at least give them a shorter lifespan. Perhaps the huge T's of the past had ways of dealing with this, but that adaptation is most likely lost in our T's that do not need it.

 

[kryptix]

So, any proof on just how large the T's were in the old days when they were supposedly huge, or did T's not leave much evidence such as fossils?

 

[Mushroom Spore]

So, any proof on just how large the T's were in the old days when they were supposedly huge, or did T's not leave much evidence such as fossils?

According to an article from 2005, there were never any "giant" tarantulas that we know of and the biggest tarantula ever is still T. blondi.

http://heritage.scotsman.com/dinosa...Worlds-biggest-spider-is-downsized.2603519.jp

Sea scorpions, on the other hand: http://www.trivia-library.com/a/massive-gigantic-prehistoric-spiders.htm

 

[burmish101]

There was a t.v. show that experimented with increased oxygen levels and fruit flies. Over a few generations they increased in size, so maybe if t's are kept and bred over several generations it could work with them too? I doubt their exoskeleton would be able to support them after they get really big though.

 

[Radamanthys]

According to an article from 2005, there were never any "giant" tarantulas that we know of and the biggest tarantula ever is still T. blondi.

http://heritage.scotsman.com/dinosa...Worlds-biggest-spider-is-downsized.2603519.jp

Sea scorpions, on the other hand: http://www.trivia-library.com/a/massive-gigantic-prehistoric-spiders.htm

Does anyone have anyarticle about from where tarantulas came? I mean, they aren't as old as gian scorpions, and i don't know even if giant scorpions are related to modern scorpions.

And i hear that too. If you get the biggest blondi in the world, it may be the biggest spider EVER!!!!

 

[Yanose]

I know some experiments of this kind were done with fruit flies and after several generations the flys grew larger but it seems to me that there would be a point at which the creature could no longer survive in our natural atmosphere. It would take a tremendous ammount of time to do this with
T's as they are realativly slow growing as compared to say fruit flys or even some sp or cockaroaches. However if you have the time the money and the facilities to grow a super T by all means do so and show us all pictures of it so we can drool over the giant creature.

 

[wedge07]

Insects simply attain larger size by using larger book lungs (in some species).

 

[LeilaNami]

Another instance is: If you put crickets in a sealed bag with normal air and fill the remaining space with pure oxygen, the crickets will also suffocate. Opposite of what you're saying but I find it interesting.