One, somebody tell "Chris Yukna" that Mr. Paragragh is his friend.
Don't look Gillian. The third link is a badly written 10th grade science paper worth about a "D-" for structure and maybe a "C" for content for hitting on
most points. Run through a spell checker. Though if this was a 6th grader I'd go higher.
If this person is older then it's a classic example of somebody remembering their high school science then commenting on that same science 15 to 20 years later when they matured, without following up on or getting current with present evidence.
ATM'ers and Creationists/Young Earthers are famous for this. Everybody knows science grinds to a halt once you leave high school to allow you to mature and then come back and tell them it's wrong.
So the first mega-paragragh goes casting doubts on "giant insects" by mixing the terminologies of eupteryds and scorpions. And taking analogies literally. Or he's just confused. The so called "sea scorpions" were aquatic. 100 ton whales are too. The "land prints" were a low tidal flat. The largest members of the Carnivora, (dogs, foxes, bears, cats, seals, sealions) the pinnipeds, leave footprints on land as well. Going to say seals shouldn't exit, just look at cats?
Pterosaurs are reptiles so no they are not dinosaurs. That's a whole other evolutionary line. They DO have keel bones so the author is WRONG on that one, flat out.
Birds, descendants of theropods do have keel bones as did a lot of non-flying theropods. A keel bone isn't nessarely a flight adaptation. It's where your pectorials hook up. Look at their own dragonfly example. No keelbone there.
The old "half wings won't let you fly" saw was settled in the mid-eighties. Won't even go there.
The whole thing is based on ignorance of what happens to animals that have a lot of room, due to mega-continents. Animals with lots of space and food will get huge.
Over time! Lots of time!
There is a profound ignorance of time here. In a million years humans will have approximately 33,000 generations. Insects in a warm stable enviroment, in the same time frame, will kick out 2 million generations, or more, each better adapted than the one before!
Quote:
Recently, all of these puzzling facts can be explained by the fact that there was more Oxygen in the atmosphere. Some scientists estimate that there was 35% oxygen level in the atmosphere at the time of the dinosaurs. You may want to read Dinosaur Breath by John G. Cramer This certainly would explain how arthropods could oxygenate their oversized bodies.
Fossil evidence for this increased Oxygen levels can be found in how fires burned back then and their fossilized traces. Fire burned very rapidly. Plus there seems to be air trapped in amber and the ratios of Oxygen 16 and 18 indicate that there was more oxygen available. This explains everything right? Remember those seagull sized dragonflies. Well some people tried to raise them in greenhouses with an atmosphere of 35% oxygen. The results were disappointing: some slight increase in size. To give them credit, perhaps with time the dragonflies could have evolved into giants. However, there still is a problem with these airborne dragonflies . If enriched Oxygen levels allow increased energy expenditure then there would be an augmentation of heat. Thus the flies would burn up. Dr.Michael May has worked on how these ancient insects might have dissipated heat differently than modern insects. This seems to be an interesting read Warming rates as a function of body size in periodic endotherms Covering insects up to mammals. Unfortunately I don't know where you can read the entire work. The problem associated with increased energy use applies to the pterosaurs as well.
One minor note of discord, some studies seem to indicate that high levels of oxygen can impede the growth of plants.
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Let's disect this bit shall we?
Well some people tried to raise them in greenhouses with an atmosphere of 35% oxygen. The results were disappointing: some slight increase in size.
This right up there with those wondering why nothing has evovled in peanut butter since we've been making peanut butter. No concept of deep time. I'm amazed they saw a result within their attention span. I suspect prevarication. Really. Think about that set up. If not a lie, this should be looked at by actual scientists.
However, there still is a problem with these airborne dragonflies . If enriched Oxygen levels allow increased energy expenditure then there would be an augmentation of heat. Thus the flies would burn up.
So I take two engines, one designed to work at sea level (then) and then one designed to operate at 30,000 feet (now). If I put the high altitude fuel in the low altitude engine, yes I'm going to burn that engine out.
One minor note of discord, some studies seem to indicate that high levels of oxygen can impede the growth of plants
By which he means
modern plants.
This is a bad book report.