Witness the largest insect that ever lived on Earth

Once soaring in the ancient skies, this giant insect had a wingspan of nearly 80cm, making it the largest creature ever to live on Earth.

Before birds ruled the skies, a giant dragonfly-like creature claimed the title of largest insect on Earth. Photo: @ResearchGate.

Called Meganeuropsis permiana, this extinct animal had an estimated wingspan of 71 cm, a body length from head to tail of nearly 43 cm, and a weight of 450g, which is comparable in size to a crow. Photo: @ Sauropedia Wiki - Fandom.

This made Meganeuropsis permiana significantly larger than any modern dragonfly today. It was also a formidable predator. Photo: @ Wikimedia Commons.

They lived during the late Permian period, about 275 million years ago, when the Earth looked very different to what it does today. While much of the land was dominated by reptiles, these dragonfly-like insects experienced a dramatic increase in biodiversity during this time, dominating the skies before pterosaurs, birds, or bats appeared. Photo: @Wikimedia Commons.

Paleontologists believe that the large size of Meganeuropsis permiana may have been due to the high concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere at the time. Photo: @Carim Nahaboo Artwork.

Fossils of Meganeuropsis permiana were first discovered in the Wellington Formation, Kansas, USA, in sedimentary rock dating back to the early Permian period. This rock is known to contain fossils of insects, fish, and amphibians. Photo: @ Geology In.

Meganeuropsis permiana is a carnivore and its large size allows it to hunt any small vertebrates, such as amphibians and small mammals. Photo: @Geology In.

Meganeuropsis permiana has strong, sharp teeth to handle large, struggling prey. They also have front legs that are covered in spines. Photo: @ DeviantArt.

Their large eyes helped them detect prey, and their legs had numerous spines that helped them catch prey. Their wings had a dense network of veins that enhanced their maneuverability in the air, unlike the fragile wings of modern dragonflies. Photo: @Getty.

These physical features suggest that Meganeuropsis permiana had a highly predatory, formidable lifestyle, but the insect eventually fell victim to a mass extinction that wiped out more than 90% of all life on Earth. Photo: @DeviantArt.

Dear Readers, please watch the video : Discovering the cause of the mammoth's extinction. Video source: @Thanh Nien Newspaper.

(According to iflscience)

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/tan-muc-loai-con-trung-lon-nhat-tung-ton-tai-tren-trai-dat-post1546412.html