Cockroaches have outlived humans on Earth. When the Chicxulub meteorite hit Earth 66 million years ago, cockroaches were there, and they demonstrated a greater ability to survive than many other species.
Cockroaches have outlived humans on Earth. When the Chicxulub meteorite hit Earth 66 million years ago, cockroaches were there, and they demonstrated a greater ability to survive than many other species.
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The Chicxulub meteorite that collided with Earth caused a massive earthquake and volcanic eruptions thousands of miles away. Three-quarters of the plants and animals on Earth died, including all dinosaurs, only a few animals survived, including cockroaches.
The meteor disaster once destroyed the dinosaurs, but could not destroy the cockroaches.
How can tiny cockroaches survive when so many powerful animals are extinct? Let's find out the outstanding characteristics of cockroaches.
Body structure
Visually, you can see that the cockroach's body is very flat. Flatter insects can burrow into tighter spaces. This allowed cockroaches to hide anywhere - and it may have helped them survive Chicxulub's impact.
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When a meteor hits, the temperature on Earth's surface skyrockets. Many animals have nowhere to hide, but cockroaches can hide in small crevices, providing excellent protection from the heat.
Cockroaches are omnivores
The impact of the meteorite caused a series of impacts. A lot of dust flew in the air, making the sky dark. When the sun is obscured, the temperature drops and the world becomes cold. With little sunlight, surviving plants struggle to thrive and many herbivores will starve.
However, cockroaches survived well. Unlike some insects that prefer to eat a particular plant, cockroaches are omnivores. This means they will eat most foods of animal or plant origin as well as cardboard, some types of clothing and even feces. Not being picky eaters has helped cockroaches survive well in difficult conditions, including meteorites and other natural disasters.
Cockroach eggs are protective boxes
Another useful feature is that cockroaches lay eggs shaped like dried beans. Cockroach eggs are also called oothecae, which means "egg container".
Like phone cases, oothecae are fairly tough and protect the contents from impact damage and other threats, such as floods and droughts.
Live anywhere on land
Modern cockroaches are meager survivors that can live anywhere on land, from the heat of the tropics to some of the coldest parts of the world. Scientists estimate that there are more than 4,000 species of cockroaches.
However, cockroaches are an animal that is harmful to humans. When large numbers of cockroaches are in unsanitary places, they can spread disease. The allergens they produce can cause asthma attacks and allergic reactions in some people.
It is difficult for us to control cockroaches because they are resistant to many chemical pesticides and because they have special abilities that have helped their ancestors outlive many dinosaurs.
Scientists say: If another meteorite hits Earth, we need to worry about humans more than cockroaches. Scientists studied cockroaches to understand how they move and how their bodies are designed to get ideas for building better robots. Their high survivability is also worth human learning in some appropriate respects.
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