How did the cockroaches survive the asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs?

KOMPAS.com – cockroach is an animal that can survive a blow asteroid monsters to Earth, which the event caused a mass extinction that destroyed many living things, one of which dinosaur.

This has finally made some people wonder how cockroach protect themselves, during the impact of space rocks 66 million years ago.

So how cockroaches survive the hit of a giant asteroid that?

Reported from Live ScienceMonday (4/4/2022) when a rock called Chicxulub fell from space and hit Earth, cockroach known to live there.

Cockroach It is also one of the animals that survived the phenomenon that wiped out three-quarters of the plants, and animals on Earth that died out, including the dinosaurs.

How cockroaches surviveaccording to postdoctoral researcher at West Virginia University, Brian Lovett, because cockroaches have a very good body shape to survive, even when a meteor disaster occurs though.

“If you’ve ever seen a cockroach, you’ve probably noticed that their body is very flat. This is not a coincidence,” said Lovett.

Insect which has a flatter body, he said, can push himself into a narrower place.

Also read: The Appearance of Cockroaches 100 Million Years Ago, Big Eyes and Lives During the Day

This way, cockroaches can hide in hard-to-reach places and help them survive the impact of Chicxulub, the asteroid that caused the mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Lovett explained, when a meteor hits the ground, the temperature on Earth automatically increases.

Many animals have nowhere to escape to, but cockroaches can take refuge in narrow crevices of the ground thanks to their small, flat bodies.

As a result, they are well protected from the extremely hot temperatures on the Earth’s surface.

“The impact of the meteor triggers a series of terrible effects, making dust fly that makes the sky very dark. As the sun goes down, temperatures drop and conditions on Earth cool,” said Lovett.

When the Sun illuminates the Earth, living plants will try to grow, while organisms that depend on plants for their lives starve.

On the other hand, cockroaches are insect omnivores that can survive by eating any type of food to survive such as plants, smaller animals, cardboard to dirt.

Also read: Why do cockroaches die upside down? This is the explanation

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