One of, if not my favorite prehistoric animals!! And I’d go as far as saying that this is most likely the most in depth coverage of it on this platform… lots of misinformation surrounding this one unfortunately, but the truth behind the fiction is even more bizarre and awesome!! Thank you for the video :)

@BugsandBiology

3 ай бұрын

Thanks a lot! I was aiming to provide a more detailed coverage than the numerous existing videos about Arthropleura on KZread, so I’m glad to hear I’ve apparently achieved that!

@dukethespider

3 ай бұрын

@@BugsandBiology I agree with Prisma, you achieved this goal in spades!

Awww yeah ARTHROPLEURA . What absolute units. I really appreciate you tackling common misconceptions not just about our lovely invert friends but also with paleontology as well. The more you read and learn the far more nuance to everything there is.

@BugsandBiology

3 ай бұрын

Indeed, so many things turn out to be much more nuanced and complex upon closer examination. “The more you know, the harder you will find it to make up your mind, it doesn’t really matter if you find you can’t see which grass is greener, chances are it’s neither, and either way it’s easier to see the difference when you’re sitting on the fence” - Tim Minchin’s song “The Fence”. Honestly so relevant in so many circumstances.

@dukethespider

3 ай бұрын

@@BugsandBiology and that nuance is why everything uso fascinating! Discovering new things around every corner and it doesn't get boring I'll have to check that song out!

@adrammelechthewroth6511

3 ай бұрын

This is exactly why I consider arthropods some of the best animals on this planet and also why I massively respect them. They're so good at what they do.

@bugsmetropolis

3 ай бұрын

@@BugsandBiology Great video! 👍

i liked your arthropleura art and your co-star was quite enchanting!

1:40 Good to see my bois the Archaeopolypods get some recognition.

@adrammelechthewroth6511

3 ай бұрын

Agreed.

Myriapods for the win! Another excellent episode 😊

@adrammelechthewroth6511

3 ай бұрын

I freaking love them. Especially centipedes.

Amazing video on Arthropleura! I hadn't heard about the arridification hypothesis for Arthropleura's extinction before. Excited for your next paleontology video.

“wHy dO yOU hAVe a SpIdER oN yOUr fAcE” is what I would say if i never did any background research on the channel, or even looked at the profile. This is probably the best arthropleura video I have seen to date, great job. I love how instead of just providing some facts, you give an in-depth analysis of the species with a lot of the knowledge we have currently.

@Vicus_of_Utrecht

3 ай бұрын

Check out his videos when it was Centipedes Lair (still miss that name)- huge buggies all over, especially 9" centipedes all over him lol (mad Chad). Yeah, I'm OG to this channel 😂

@ichthyovenator3351

3 ай бұрын

Lmao

@BugsandBiology

3 ай бұрын

Anyone who remembers Lair of Centipedes is a definite OG for this channel.

Talking about the head, i think that a millipiede convergent head is more probable. Even if not identical, forward facing mandibles with help it to fend of the predatory amphibians and chew the hard vegetation.

Thanks!

@BugsandBiology

3 ай бұрын

Really appreciate that! Very generous.

Plot twist: Arthropleura Armata actually had the head of a dog, fulfilling B&Bs dreams of having a dog based on a centipede/millipede.

Something I don't see many people suggesting for why Arthropleura was so big is because it got there first. Invertebrates had already established themselves on land for millions of years when vertebrates were just starting to wiggle through the mud to get to another body of water.

@BugsandBiology

15 күн бұрын

Lack of competition is definitely a potential factor. Though it’s worth noting large tetrapods had emerged onto land before Arthropleura evolved.

@GreasusGoldtooth

12 күн бұрын

@@BugsandBiology True, but did any fill the same niche?

I subscribed seconds after I saw how "chill" 'Charlotte' looks over there on your ear.

I read another explanation for the arthropod gigantism of the Carboniferous and Permian: they had little competition from big Tetrapods, and in particular there were no flying Tetrapods at the time. UPDATE: they had only competition from big ineffective Tetrapods.

Great video, thanks for ur efforts!!

Really nice video! Many videos I have seen are misleading but you did such a nice work! Either way, I heard that there will be study about detailed analysis of Montceau-les-Mines specimen including its head morphology, I am so hyped about that!

@BugsandBiology

2 ай бұрын

Oh that sounds like it’ll be interesting! I’ll have to keep my eye out for when it’s published.

1:34 If I remember correctly there was some controversy around the age of Pneumodesmus

I think it is a great argument that pressures from vertebrates helped to lead to either the reduction in size of many large arthropods or the extinction of many. The largest land arthropods that are alive today would be the coconut crab which makes itself abundant on islands with few large vertebrate competitors. Despite them spawning into the open ocean and collectively being found from Kyushu into the Indian ocean, they rarely seem to establish themselves on mainland Asia. The best reasonings I've heard around this involve their vulnerability during and immediately after molting. I imagine this kind of omnipresent vulnerability just led to [the large land arthropods'] disappearances during minor extinction events. It certainly isn't very advantageous to try and grow to a larger and larger size if each molt you do is terribly risky and more so the bigger you get(as there's less places to shelter in/at whilst you molt or whilst you're hardening your exoskeleton). As a neat aside, Oniscideans(at least the common kinds people like to keep as pets/cultures) molt half of their exoskeletons at a time. That might confer an advantage for larger isopods if they ever found themselves in a niche that was advantageous for it.

@BugsandBiology

3 ай бұрын

Yeah the molting process is a key weakness of arthropods I wish I’d mentioned in the video, and could have definitely played a role in Arthropleura’s eventual extinction. But like I said in the video, it seems the millipede had coexisted with various vertebrate competitors for a significant time frame. That’s not to say they weren’t a factor at all, but I personally think it’s more plausible that the aridification of the equator was the main player. It’s also worth noting that part of the reason the coconut crab has such a limited range is extirpation by humans. They used to be present on mainland Australia, which also hosted plenty of mammalian (and reptilian) megafauna.

@Intelligenthumour

3 ай бұрын

@@BugsandBiology I wasn't actually aware that coconut crabs had a presence on Australia before. That's pretty interesting. The aridification was something I've learned about thanks to your video and it definitely makes a lot of sense. Especially when you think about how plants were still relatively(relative to now at least) new to land by the end of the Carboniferous period, so adaptations to drier habitats were probably limited if I had to guess. I know early plants had to reproduce via spores too and whilst spores can be durable they're better for r-selective environments/niches, whilst seeds represent a more significant amount of security for the next generation and are more K-selective which is great for stable but harsh environments.

Fun fact that nobody is probably gonna care about: Arthropleura is my favorite Paleozoic animal!

@BugsandBiology

4 күн бұрын

I care! It’s definitely up there for me too.

Would be cool to see lesser know giant arthropods 🔥

Excellent video. One thing i wanna say is tho instead of using white backgrounds using darker ones would be better. Think about dark mode :)

Arthropleuridea as a whole would Definitely be a sight to behold in the Modern age i wish they didn't go extinct 😢

It really is frustrating how odd prehistoric invertebrate remains can be. It's why I tend to stay away from drawing them since tetrapods have a better frame of reference. And yet that's totally part of their charm. Arthropleura has always been such a charismatic denizen of the Carboniferous and it's great seeing an actually good video on them. I'm really excited for your Silurian subject!

@BugsandBiology

3 ай бұрын

It does kinda depend on the animal. One advantage with reconstructing arthropods is they have an external skeleton, so you don’t need to worry about putting flesh over bone. So a well-preserved arthropod fossil would look essentially the same as the animal. Of course, it’s a different story when they’re fragmentary.

Nice to see you breaking 1k so soon

@Vicus_of_Utrecht

3 ай бұрын

KZread still hates you 😢

@BugsandBiology

3 ай бұрын

These days, only my worst performing videos don’t break 1k within the first day. Big step up from last year for sure.

Cool hat 👍

Excellent video! I think one of the main reasons _Arthropleura_ got large is simply because there's a lack of competition and/or predators on land at the time.

@BugsandBiology

3 ай бұрын

Yeah very true. First in, first served, I suppose. Probably could’ve elaborated a bit more on alternative reasons for Arthropleura’s size, but I decided to focus that section more on highlighting the problems with the oxygen hypothesis.

5:51, NOOOO the less animals that look like a centipede the better!!!

@P.ilhaformosatherium

Ай бұрын

COPE Lil bro Chilopods are awesome

Can you possibly cover the stinky millipedes of the Pacific Northwest

Huh, I thought the 2021 fossil was Viséan, not Serpukhovian? Sorry, for the mistake! I guess LOOP made it too. Anyways, I can tell you enjoyed recording this video - great job!! Very scientifically minded to not pick one explanation for certain regarding gigantism and such, just putting them out there. But to be honest, it's a bit of a guilty pleasure when old ideas get turned on their head a bit haha. However, if Arthropleura is just Serpukhovian, then I'm probably going to use the scorpions instead to make "maybe not O2" point in future, because the Serpukhovian is likely to have been rather oxygenated still, relative to today anyway. Did you neglect the theories on how it might have breathed because of time constraints? Again, it doesn't seem to be a consensus on that, so fair enough. Never seen the paintings by @paleopete or @prof_lambeoVT before, they look great! I'm curious if any large millipedes or such will turn up in Permian South China, because the island continent managed to hold onto lycophyte "carboniferous-like forests" right up until the end-Permian mass-extinction. Which is an interesting anomaly.

I want something like Jurassic park but instead Carboniferous period. Here's why: A millipede of that size likely has an exoskeleton that should work similarly to a horse hoof right? In the sense you can have thing permanently protruding into it without causing the animal pain. And it's also large enough that it should support the weight of an adult human standing on it, correct? 4 words: Competitive Giant Millipede boarding. You basically embed stirrups vertically into the exoskeleton just behind its head and use your foot to control the direction the animal is going. You basically "steer" it while riding in the same way you'd ride a skateboard. I giant, living, badass skateboard. In a more serious note, I wonder if the reason for the gigantism has something to do with predation? I think, but this is just speculation, Arthropleura may have been basically the "elephant" of the era. If I'm not mistaken, we started to see arthropods "shrink" around the time that large vertebrate predators became a thing. With actual bone being better at sustaining damage than a chitinous exoskeleton.

@Mr.Tonyman

3 ай бұрын

That would be sick but you would have to maintain the same oxygen levels that let them exist in the first place.

@larrymantic2635

3 ай бұрын

@@Mr.Tonymanyeah… but alas with the climate change, it would technically be impossible for these beasts to return to reality.

@DrakonBlake

3 ай бұрын

⁠@@Mr.TonymanAnd depending on just how high you’d have to get the oxygen it could be dangerous to humans. Though it may be easier to have a person wearing a mask so that too much oxygen doesn’t get in than it would be to make a suit for a giant millipede so that they get enough oxygen and stuff. So you could have a stadium where they maintain needed oxygen levels for arthropluera in the arena part and have the seats closed off from it. And the people inside the arena could wear special masks or something if it’s needed

@BugsandBiology

3 ай бұрын

It’s also worth noting that oxygen may not have been as big of a factor in Arthropleura’s size as often thought. Especially since Arthropleura lived for most of the Carboniferous, even including times that were likely before the oxygen spike.

@jointcerulean3350

3 ай бұрын

I was wonder about that, heard it somewhere, fascinating it’s large size was not induced from the the large oxygen spike. I wonder if the sizes reported in the giant cryptid tarantula from the Congo called Jba Fofi are not exaggerating.🤔 also phenomenal video, And paleoart! Really cool to see more of this taxon.👍

Great video! Maby consider making one about pulmoscorpius? I know we invertebrate keepers would literally kill for them lol

Astounding, millipede , 2.5 meters , imagine him in the RUCK , for an AFL side , can kick on both feet , just can't mark above it's head ,oh well , stuck with Dinosaurs GO BLUES RARARA

dude...i think you got a spider on your face.

ARTHROPLEURA Is peak evolution, incredibly awesome species! Also is it true that arthropleura was already gigantic before the oxygen levels rose to a higher degree? Also the peter Jackson King Kong game with the giant millipedes was awesome

@PaleoEdits

3 ай бұрын

Depends on which O2 model you're looking at.

@BugsandBiology

3 ай бұрын

It’s not completely set in stone, as no two O2 models are the same. But, especially when combined with knowledge of other large arthropods, it does seem that oxygen was a less influential factor in their size than often thought.

9:27 Fun fact: PBS eons made a video on the giant Arthropleura specimen from before the oxygen increase talking about how the oxygen increase might not have been the reason for their size increase.

@Vicus_of_Utrecht

3 ай бұрын

Why does anyone follow PBS? Jesus Christ as awful as the BBC (muh CO2 control knob).

@trilobite3120

3 ай бұрын

@@Vicus_of_Utrecht I mean in this case they got it right

What kind of spider have you got on your face there? Is it a huntsman?

@BugsandBiology

3 ай бұрын

Yeah, Holconia flindersi.

cool bug

1:38 what is the name of this millipede?

@BugsandBiology

3 ай бұрын

Acantherpestes major

Mr huntsman was not happy with you swearing 😭

@BugsandBiology

3 ай бұрын

Yeah that was honestly such good comic timing

Did remipedes evolve from these... Bizarre abominations?

@BugsandBiology

3 ай бұрын

No, remipedes aren’t even myriapods.

@DJLucas-xv7oe

3 ай бұрын

@@BugsandBiology So what was the myriapods next stage of evolution?

@agentvictoria4021

3 ай бұрын

Myriapods still exist, we got centipedes and millipedes and the body plan has proven incredibly successful for a long time

@agentvictoria4021

3 ай бұрын

Evolution isn't always drastic, myriapoda run off a "if it aint broke, don't fix it" strategy which worked wonders for trilobites

@DJLucas-xv7oe

3 ай бұрын

Imagine if the giant millipede still exists to this day. Would it be more toxic than modern millipedes? Would it be predatory?

I'm wondering if wearing a large spider on your head is a chick magnet at the pub or nightclub ?🕷🤔

@BugsandBiology

3 ай бұрын

Nah, my drunk dancing is what gets the eyes on me at the bar

THE SPIDER THE SPIDER THE SPIDER I JUST NOTICED EW

@TryingtokickEdout

3 ай бұрын

Okay not ew well yeah ew, i am terrified of spiders but at the same time i respect them and appreciate them for what they do.