Why cockroaches survived the asteroid collision that wiped out the dinosaurs

Beijing time on April 6th, according to foreign media reports, 66 million years ago, when an asteroid known as the “Chicthulhu Impactor” slid through the atmosphere from outer space and fell to the ground, it brought an explosion. Global catastrophe, most of the earth’s species, including dinosaurs, disappeared, but cockroaches survived tenaciously. The asteroid collision triggered a massive earthquake and a volcanic eruption thousands of kilometers from the impact site, wiping out three-quarters of the planet’s flora and fauna.

Many powerful species have gone extinct, so why do cockroaches with body lengths of just a few centimeters survive? They have proven to adapt well to meteor disasters and survive them tenaciously. If you’ve ever seen cockroaches, you’ve probably noticed that they have flat bodies, which they can take advantage of and squeeze their bodies into tighter spaces, meaning they can hide in almost any area when disaster strikes Survived an asteroid collision 66 million years ago.

When the asteroid hits the earth, the temperature of the earth’s surface rises sharply, and many animals will have nowhere to escape, but cockroaches can take refuge in tiny soil crevices, while avoiding heat damage. An asteroid hitting the Earth would trigger a chain of effects, kicking up a lot of dust, darkening the sky, and as the sun faded, temperatures began to plummet, and the world was plunged into a winter-like cold climate that, in the absence of sunlight, relied on the sun’s rays Surviving plants cannot continue to grow, and many plant-dependent organisms are gradually heading towards extinction without a food source.

Cockroaches are not among the extinct species, it is not like some insects prefer to eat specific plants, they are omnivorous scavengers, meaning they will eat most animal or plant food, modern cockroach species can eat cardboard, clothing , and even animal waste. Since the asteroid collision 66 million years ago, cockroaches have become less picky about their food, which helps them survive harsh conditions.

Another beneficial property is that cockroaches can lay their eggs in small protective shells that look like dried beans, called ootheca, which are tougher and protect the eggs from physical damage and other natural threats, such as: Floods and droughts. The researchers speculate that in the asteroid collision event that wiped out the dinosaurs, some cockroach eggs survived intact in their eggshells.

Cockroaches are miniature survivors of the dinosaur extinction event. Today’s cockroach species can adapt to live in any terrestrial environment, from the hot tropics to the coldest places on earth. Scientists estimate that there are more than 4,000 species of cockroaches in the world, and their numbers are even greater. are countless.

In fact, only a few species of cockroaches like to live with humans, and they quickly become a pest. Once cockroaches “settle” inside buildings, it is difficult for owners to completely remove them. They can spread certain diseases when they are in a sanitary setting. The biggest threat cockroaches pose to human health is the allergens they produce, which can trigger asthma or allergic reactions in some people.

Cockroaches are difficult to control as pests. In recent years, they have been resistant to damage from a variety of chemical pesticides, and they have many superpowers. Their ancestors survived more tenaciously than dinosaurs. However, cockroaches are not just a pest to control, researchers are currently studying cockroaches to master their movement patterns, as well as their body proportions, which seem to be the rationale for building better robots.

The research team pointed out that we, as researchers, generally think that all insects are beautiful six-legged creatures, and cockroaches are one of the most tenacious species on earth. They have overcome more difficulties in survival than dinosaurs. If the planet collides with the earth, it is very likely that many species, including humans, will go extinct, but we don’t need to worry about cockroaches, they can still survive the apocalypse.