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| Marine Insects | |
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| Topic Started: Apr 4 2011, 03:26 PM (1,716 Views) | |
| Scrublord | Apr 4 2011, 03:26 PM Post #1 |
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Father Pellegrini
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Let's face it: insects are everywhere. In over 350 million years of evolution, they've conquered the land, the air, and have learned to breathe underwater. Yet very few insects have made it to the ocean. The only truly marine insects are a few beach-dwelling flies and beetles, and five species of water striders. Why is this, and could insect one day evolve marine forms? |
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My Projects: The Neozoic Redux Valhalla--Take Three! The Big One Deviantart Account: http://elsqiubbonator.deviantart.com In the end, the best advice I could give you would be to do your project in a way that feels natural to you, rather than trying to imitate some geek with a laptop in Colorado. --Heteromorph | |
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| lamna | Apr 24 2011, 08:40 AM Post #16 |
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Nonsense, the oceans teem with arthropods, there are half a billion tonnes of Antarctic Krill alone, probably more than any other animal on earth. |
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| Ànraich | Apr 24 2011, 02:27 PM Post #17 |
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi
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Okay I think the idea that there are "virtually" no insects in the ocean is a bit ridiculous. Yes, there are relatively few oceanic arthropods, but 3% of all insects live in the ocean. And nearly 75% of all multicellular organisms are insects, which means there's actually quite a few arthropods living in the ocean. Now, compared to the number of them living outside the ocean this is small, but I think you see my point. I think that, as has been stated, the development of jaws finished off the dominance of oceanic arthropods. They went from "nigh-impenetrable armored animal" to "crunchy food" rather quickly after that. |
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We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar. "The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming Tree That Owns Itself
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| Scrublord | Apr 26 2011, 04:36 PM Post #18 |
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Father Pellegrini
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I disagree with you on both points, Parasky. One, the only truly marine insects are the five species of water strider in the genus Halobates, although there are others that live on shorelines and in mangrove forests. Still, they certainly do not add up to five percent and I am not sure where you got that figure. Also, arthropods in general are still a significant part of marine ecosystems--they grow larger in the sea than they do on land, and they form the bases of most marine food chains. They were NOT "replaced" by animals with jaws. |
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My Projects: The Neozoic Redux Valhalla--Take Three! The Big One Deviantart Account: http://elsqiubbonator.deviantart.com In the end, the best advice I could give you would be to do your project in a way that feels natural to you, rather than trying to imitate some geek with a laptop in Colorado. --Heteromorph | |
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| TheBioBassist | Apr 26 2011, 05:47 PM Post #19 |
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Naked Man (who fears no pick pockets)
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It would be most interesting to see insects move into a marine pollinator role. We know the angiosperms experienced an extremely rapid expansion and diversification due to their co-evolution with insects. Marine algae and coral still rely on water currents for fertilization (although I guess some have mobile gametes but they are limited), some would certainly benefit from producing a nectar or fruit like substance to entice insects to feed on them and spread their gametes in the process. |
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"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not "eureka" ( I found it) but "that's funny......"" -Isaac Asimov | |
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| Spugpow | Apr 26 2011, 08:48 PM Post #20 |
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Prime Specimen
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I can see it happening...suppose a terrestrial flower becomes aquatic in the future, like seagrass. It's pollinators could conceivably follow it into the water. |
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| Even | Apr 30 2011, 08:40 AM Post #21 |
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Roman Catholic theistic evolutionist
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I'd like to copy that and paste that to my tumblr, it's an epic (and true) quote IMO As for marine insects, I think that there are no niche available for them at the high seas, with all the fish and crustaceans (their cousins!) have took, but arthropods was a major force in the sea in the past *coughtrilobitecough* |
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| Scrublord | Apr 30 2011, 08:48 AM Post #22 |
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Father Pellegrini
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And crustaceans ARE arthropods, so arthropods have hardly lost their hold on the sea at all. |
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My Projects: The Neozoic Redux Valhalla--Take Three! The Big One Deviantart Account: http://elsqiubbonator.deviantart.com In the end, the best advice I could give you would be to do your project in a way that feels natural to you, rather than trying to imitate some geek with a laptop in Colorado. --Heteromorph | |
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| Carlos | May 3 2011, 02:35 PM Post #23 |
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Adveho in me Lucifero
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In benthic niches anyway. Swimming niches are another matter entirely. |
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Lemuria: http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/5724950/ Terra Alternativa: http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/forum/460637/ My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Carliro ![]() | |
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| Spugpow | May 3 2011, 09:57 PM Post #24 |
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Prime Specimen
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There are lots and lots of tiny swimming crustaceans, and not so tiny ones as well: http://youtu.be/OPMQaP-Yj1Y |
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