Much more like stromatolites; where small individual components assemble
large structures, much of which consists of nonliving matter... try to
imagine a highly skeletal kelp, conceivably hundreds of metres long; with
the bulk of mass a nonliving support structure. A jellyfish is a paradigm of
complexity by cf.
*
2m dragonflies could glide effectively in modern atmospheric conditions if
there wasn't anything else around to eat 'em. Large dragonflies survived
deep into the Mesozoic; & overlapped slightly with the first pterosaurs...
one should note, however, that there are two planes of threat to flying
critters: one is other flyers; the other is improved predators which can
attack you on the ground....
All the best,
Robert Clements <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Saturday, December 09, 2000 4:50 PM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Re: On The Rise of Oxygen...
>
> A giant Europan jellyfish might be the prototype, then. Something large
> enough to be able to absorb energy across a broad area (say, 1 km across).
>
> Freezing or ice shifts might only kill off a section of it, quickly
> regenerated. All speculative of course. Probably lousy eating.
*
> Same goes for dragonflies. I'd think they would simply need thicker air
> to
> supply loft to those inefficient wings.
>
> Could the pterosaurs have been their end? I dunno... because in the
> transition interim from developing from hoppers to flyers, wouldn't they
> still be easy meat for those 2' dragonflies? Dragonflies are, after all,
> voracious predators, with jaws that can chew up insects far larger than
> they
> are.
>
> -- JHB
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