When Insects First Flew

[@TierZoo]

Flying is honestly ridiculously OP, so bogus that the devs gave arthropods access to that skilltree hundreds of millions of years before other factions

[@williamadams6940]

TierZoo blatant bias

[@gentlydown41]

Love your videos man, keep it up.

[@jtktomb8598]

Insects win on everything man, more beetles species than anything else ! more ladybugs species than mammals !

[@catherinevo6060]

TierZoo true

[@spinyslasher6586]

TierZoo Wasps are S tier man, their maneuverability and lethality is insanely OP. Devs please nerf wasps they are griefing the hell out of some servers.

[@Shadycicada]

Man, this channel is one of the best things on KZbin.

[@xSuperCartmanx]

Seriously

[@MrEtanaka]

Try Moth Light Media, i'm sure you'll like

[@biggystupid3735]

@@MrEtanaka i cannot agree more

[@jessicakyle6855]

I know, right?!

[@the_gaming_hyena24]

No, it is THE best.

[@HallsteinI]

This has to be the nicest, most thoughtful comments section I've seen on all of KZbin.

[@DeShawnMcDonald]

I know any other channel and everyone in the comments would be arguing about whether or not this channel is getting paid by big paleontology and Soros to push a global warming agenda lol

[@matttube9369]

@DeShawn McDonald Lol, exactly

[@citiesskyscrapers4561]

This channel is just incredible.

[@candicehinds5824]

Cities & Skyscrapers it's always a good day when they upload

[@AlumniQuad]

Not enough Fidget Spinners and Boosted Boards® for my taste

[@citiesskyscrapers4561]

My channel So true!

[@citiesskyscrapers4561]

jo mo mo I have already subscribed to Deep Look, it’s a great channel!

[@mikekuppen6256]

+

[@theoregonguy]

You know I've never really thought about how insects started flying. Thanks Eons for bringing up this topic and making me think about it.

[@AdventureSlug]

All the stuff in are water/food and air. Proven to limit free thought and inturn you stop asking questions about your surroundings.

[@AL-fl4jk]

@@AdventureSlug 🤦‍♂️

[@csquared4538]

@@AdventureSlug 🤦

[@jivejunior8753]

Evolution: If you're going to make a new body part, modify one of the ones you already have. Insects: _Hold my beer_

[@duhduhvesta]

Jive Junior +

[@aaronheaton2606]

The concept doesnt make much sense. What? One day nothingness decided it needed to work thousands maybe millions of years so that bugs could fly. At least arms developing into wings makes some sense.

[@Nulgar]

@Nicht von dieser Welt e.g. the "missing link" 'disproving' evolution

[@BABerg11]

But the insects wouldn't need to hand off their beer, they didn't modify an arm.

[@BABerg11]

@@aaronheaton2606 The idea of something from nothing is tricky to imagine in terms of evolution. But depending on what form of locomotion came first, where did that appendage come from? I agree that it's definitely easier to think they came from modifying something else, but given insects, I don't find it to be that hard to imagine. Besides, if you look really closely, some flight-capable species look like the wings are an extension of the exoskeleton that could have modified, over time, to be better equipped for flight.

[@francois-xavierdessureault8039]

I love how this show doesn't throw around "facts", instead looking at the evidence we have and presenting the most likely hypotheses we can draw from that evidence. That's the kind of attitude often lacking in both formal education and popular science, and I think this lack of transparency about the scientific method contributes to a rise in distrust about science (e.g. anti-vaxxers, climate skeptics, etc.) I've always preferred knowing *how* a scientific discovery was made rather than simply learning when it was made or by whom.

[@Kuwagumo]

I COMPLETELY agree with you, thanks for sharing your opinion :)

[@juanausensi499]

100% agree

[@smokingsnake8276]

Wise words

[@matttube9369]

EXACTLY, agree

[@navilluscire2567]

This is late to reply but more so for the *'slightly'* newer comments but things like vaccines and climate change ARE indisputable facts, people just willfully choose not to listen. And even then, even if you explained how such research or hypothesizing is done or how they (scientists and researchers) came to their conclusions people will STILL willfully ignore all that or disregard it, *because people (unfortunately) have a 'right' to be ignorant.* Disregarding science or the scientific process completely doesn't make you somehow more sensible, *it just makes you willfully stupid.* (or irrational)

[@LordSlag]

I want to know more about the transition from single celled to multicelled life.

[@hooliganbubsy7298]

Well bacteria and the like already lived in colonies by virtue of food sources existing as more than just a singularity. Then they developed the ability to work together a little bit such as creating a matrix that assisted with survival. Going from being joined by a loose matrix to actually being joined isn't a huge leap and from there evolution just went haywire. I'm not 100% on that but it probably went similarly to that.

[@timsmith6675]

LordSlag Check out PBS Digital Studios ( SciShow, It's Okay to be Smart, and Eons) and you'll find some answers. The information is out there, if you're willing to process it critically.

[@macnutz4206]

LordSlag Here is a starting point. As well as another interesting EON presentation, it has a number of links to other channels and presentations that will be of assistance to you. All relating to your stated interest. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppyVYmaOiLieqrM

[@k1ngk4gl3]

Well... Actually, that's not fully well-understood yet. But all the PBSDigital channels really WILL help towards forming a semi-decent hypothesis in the meantime.

[@desencriptando]

read about Volvox algae and other colonial organisms (like early Mesomycetozoea)

[@smokesparkdragonfly1368]

When did the first mosquito appear, and when will it *end*

[@suparain7119]

SmokeSpark Dragonfly Ha ha when it's niche is filled in a better way

[@SpudEater]

@@suparain7119 I hereby declare that niche to be useless and therefore it should die off. Thank you for your time.

[@suparain7119]

@@SpudEater But then what will the dragonflies eat?:(

[@unexpected2475]

@@suparain7119 flies

[@suparain7119]

@@unexpected2475 and small fish

[@niclas3672]

I would like to see some more videos on the Permian and Permian Therapsids. I think Permian animals are often overshadowed by the dinosaurs, so would be cool to shed some light on them. Also, great video!

[@codyg6057]

Please! I need this!

[@MikePhoenix007]

Yes please! Exactly my thoughts. The Permian is my favourite time period. But it's unfortunately always overshadowed by the periods of the Mesozoic.

[@wienzard93]

I agree! we need more light on Permian period!

[@LuminousKugelblitz]

Niclas Dahl Aabo Me too 😊

[@jasmineclontz6105]

Agreed! I would love to see this!

[@chatgptnewslive2023]

I AM SO INVESTED IN THIS CHANNEL.

[@AUser73-148]

I love this channel but a lot of the videos are just "We don't know but here's out best ideas" Which is great, I love that they don't just stop at that and provide no actual information. They give both sides of the current theories and do so much information gathering and illustration. This is by far one of the best science channels on the site

[@bigedslobotomy]

Not Your Everyday Timelord I like that also. It’s frustrating to view videos on science subjects, and they put forth only ONE of the many theories about it, and act as though there is no discussion or controversy about it - while the reality is that scientists have their pet theories, they have egos, and there is a kind of inertia that resides in currently held beliefs that is often hard to change. Ideas must be discussed!

[@VanRukh]

What the heck! I was upvoting a comment for this very topic last week. Unexpectedly delighted

[@Danquebec01]

Same.

[@drew8443]

Yeah they really listen

[@batt3ryac1d]

Insects have such short life spans and are so abundant they probably evolve like crazy compared to other animals.

[@AliCatWrites]

This channel is speaking to the child science geek that still lives inside me. I’d love to see an episode about the ancestors of wolves and how they evolved into the modern animal.

[@kieran9593]

Do something about how holes in the skull evolved and changed in relation to synapsids, diapsids, and anapsids. That would be interesting

[@xxXthekevXxx]

Tinfoil Prophet agreed! Always wondered why we have differing numbers of head holes.

[@sonjavandenende9586]

I'd like to see this too. Fenestrae seem inconsequential yet they're used as major defining traits for amniotes.

[@arminarlert1953]

So i do have a hole in my head

[@vitaurea]

@@arminarlert1953 it's called your nose, eyesockets, and ear canals

[@rayleaf8114]

When did the ability to make milk come from, and when did it evolve?

[@SurrealKangaroo]

This. Also how did live birth evolve?

[@chistinelane]

Sweat, and keeping eggs inside their bodies for longer and longer periods, until the shell wasn't needed at all after it came out and was slowly lost. Some mammals still have a thin, fleshy membrane directly after birth.

[@ProfezorSnayp]

Fun fact: milk is just sweet and fatty sweat. Enjoy your coffee.

[@horse14t]

Monotremes! Like the platypus lays eggs but nurses it's young after they hatch. But they don't have teats but instead secret their milk from modified sweat glands on their stomach. Like Profezor Snayp said, milk it just modified, fatty sweat.

[@fishyfishyfishy500akabs8]

SurrealKangaroo it evolved many different times in many different animals, such as in matterpiscis the placoderm, oviparous sharks, some bony fish like guppies, non monotreme mammals and snakes

[@markhalden3922]

Toast, tea and PBS Eons, great start to the morning.

[@nature_with_zulfu]

Mark Halden a glass of water plus PBS Eons video. The last thing to do before sleep.

[@ShmuelWeintraub]

You can stop watching after just a morning??? This is the best thing on KZbin...

[@binky2819]

Something I find rather curious is how arthropods have been around for way longer than tetrapods have, yet they only evolved flight once. And even though tetrapods are so much larger and heavier and less diverse, they evolved flight 3 separate times, and gliding has evolved over a dozen times independently.

[@Naiadryade]

It seems to me like this implies that insect flight evolved very close to the branching off of insects themselves, and that the diversification of insects was built on top of that adaptation already being there. Whereas tetrapods had already branched off into several main groups before any of them figured out flight--maybe precisely because it took longer on account of being so much bigger and heavier. When avian dinosaurs started flying, for example, mammals were already their own thing. If any mammal wanted to fly, it would need to evolve its own way. Come to think of it, you can see this within arthropods, too. Arachnids don't benefit from the flight adaptation because they and insects branched before it happened. They had to figure out their own way, ie using strands of silk and electromagnetic fields. (See the recent SciShow on that!)

[@vladimirlagos2688]

Nayadriade already gave you an awesome answer. The only thing I would like to add up on top of it is that evolution of a trait usually appears to exploit an open niche in the ecosystem, but flying insects once they first appeared have never really vacated their slots in the ecosystem, effectively negating the chance for new arthropods to evolve there (notice I put arthropods and not insects, because insect flight may very possibly be the reason why spiders and miriapods never developed self sustained flight as well).

[@spacecadet28]

Well each tetrapod grouping gets 1 chance, reptiles, dinosaurs, and mammals.

[@stefanr8232]

The method of flying is remarkably different among insects. Butterflies do it differently than bees. Dragonflies do a lot of crazy stunts that nothing else can.

[@Danquebec01]

stefan r Yet it all comes from one common flying ancestor.

[@n8wb]

Thanks!

[@hilliard665]

These videos with competing arguments are great, one one hand you would like to be able to say one or the other but this gives a broader inclusive view into the world of science and the way we work it out, rather then just flat facts, I approve.

[@timjung640]

I love how PBS Eons doesn't talk down on its audience.

[@pranavlimaye]

This channel oughta go on for Eons.

[@Blablablarandomguy]

People get so jaded and complacent with life forgetting there's still epic, mind blowing mysteries like this left to be discovered

[@jeremiasrobinson]

Thank you for providing quality educational programs available to the public.

[@turmunhkganba1705]

Could you do a video on the evolution of blood

[@meandmetoo8436]

Askig each video I see, oh well I'll keep upvoting it.

[@lordgarion514]

Me AndMeToo That strategy worked for butt hair. 😁

[@Oscar4u69]

bump

[@limiv5272]

+

[@Alanzice]

Amazing topic

[@joeys4289]

You guys should win awards for what you're making. #PBSESONSISLOVE

[@vincelamb4063]

The Creative Arts Emmy Awards nominees will be announced Thursday. I hope PBS submitted this channel. It's probably eligible for the same category that The Star Wars Show was nominated for last year.

[@valiroime]

It’s what Discovery, The Learning Channel, The History Channel, NatGeo, etc should have been. Not the endless barrage of _Reality TV_ (so called), and barely camouflaged attempts to garner religious acceptance by presenting vague innuendo, and blurry images as proof one bible trope or another.

[@veggieboyultimate]

So not only were Arthropods the first animals to go onto dry land, they were also the first to fly

[@vaclavkodousek804]

That gap in upper devonian is not just for insects, but also for other land animals. :)

[@57hound]

Fascinating-as usual. This is the best paleontology channel on KZbin!

[@be2Gee]

Many great science channels on KZbin, but nothing comes anywhere near this channel. Every single video is just so incredibly well made with very interesting topics, easily explained, yet so much knowledge in such a short time. Thank you guys.

[@joperamod5760]

nah

[@cammandochicken5034]

Best KZbin channel ever

[@amirswrr2359]

What about Filthy Frank?

[@kaylawagner3295]

This channel never fails to make all my mistakes seem meaningless in the grand history of life on earth. Humans will inevitably go extinct, like all species on this planet. We are privileged to even be here. It's strangely reassuring that nothing we do permanently matters. With that said, whoever reads this comment, go. Enjoy this lifetime. It's nothing but a gift.

[@DanielSanchez-ew1js]

Who knows man. I get that we need to enjoy life as individuals but you never know how humans are going to progress. Maybe we'll be as successful as birds, insects, bats, and pterosaurs in that they diversified wildly after getting flight?

[@kaylawagner3295]

Daniel Sanchez I fully agree with you. The future of space travel is utterly beyond belief when you consider that the universe will only continue to expand. I wonder how far we'll go.

[@kaylawagner3295]

jo mo mo It's insane how much there is to human history when human history is just a spark compared to the fire of the planet's history.

[@franug]

I never thought about that, but it's a good argument. There are creatures that have been stupidly succesful for millions of years and haven't become extint. If we are able to go pass our shortcomings and destructive tendencies, maybe we, as a species, will too. Who knows.

[@kaylawagner3295]

Naturalista While I certainly hope that humanity gets the opportunity to colonize other parts of the universe, I doubt it will reach its full potential during our lifetime. Not that something so trivial should prevent us from sending our children to the stars, of course.

[@topsideplanet234]

I love this channel and I love it's comment sections, everyone praising the channel for the good content and asking for what should be covered next and starting conversations with people that are genuinely interested in these topics.

[@Never_heart]

This is a fascinating topic. A topic that has recently appeared to me that is filled with misinformation are the plesiosaurs. Since the popular representation of the Loch Ness Monster represented the accepted understanding of plesiosaurs when it took pop culture by storm many decades ago. Our understanding of plesiosaur biomechanics, especially the long necked body plans, has completely changed while Nessy representations have not which in turn continue to spread misinformation about real plesiosaurs.

[@stefanr8232]

Why would Nessy change just because of human ideas about an extinct animal?

[@Never_heart]

stefan r Nessy is believed to be a long necked plesiosaur. I am saying that the way media shows Nessy has unchanged, in particular the way it's neck is shown in a recurved S shape like that of a swan. Now we know that real plesiosaurs could not move their necks into this shape. And since Nessy is hands down the most famous plesiosaur in media people still believe that real plesiosaurs can move their necks in this S shape. Much like how early bipedal sauropods were shown with their tails dragging along the ground, yet now we know that was not the case. The comment was more about correcting the misinformation about real plesiosaurs and using Nessy as an explanation why misinformation has persisted in popular knowledge.

[@suelane3628]

There is a long necked seal in the fossil record.

[@DaiBaNANA]

Thank you for all the hard work! Personally I'm interested in learning about first cactii and how they adapted to the change in climate through time

[@linr1294]

My hometown gets a shoutout on Eons! Would love to see more about the fossils found in Gilboa- it’s believed to be the earths oldest fossilized forest.

[@YingofDarkness]

It's amazing how every single winged creature we have today, probably all developed those wings as a result of the first insects that did. As their main source of food took to the skies, they had to do so as well or adapt to eat another source of food which was probably already in demand by other species.

[@josephyoung6749]

This is quite possibly one of the most interesting things I've ever seen on the internet. Thanks!

[@invisiblejaguar1]

Good thing about this channel is that it will never die, so many subjects to cover.

[@abdulkarimismail9413]

I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH, THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTION!

[@jacobmcclure7826]

I don't go to school or nothing. But a quality vid is a quality vid. And you guys make them.

[@Sriharshabhogi]

This channel made me love Paleontology. #LoveYouPBSEons

[@vadinhopsc]

PBS (EONS,NOVA, etc) is my dream channel. Thank you PBS Digital Studios.

[@victormoyer7647]

God, this makes me so happy! I want to be a paleoentomologist and I love hearing about this stuff, even if I've already heard about it. This is absolutely my favorite KZbin channel and I get so excited about every video you make. :)

[@AuthenticDarren]

Thanks for this video, those little arthropods are so often the unsung heros of animal life. Those little critters deserve much more attention than they generally receive. Imagining an Earth populated on land by only plants, invertabrates and a few fungi etc. before these great chordates came out of the water and started eating them all, is just facinating.

[@dinodude7290]

i can't handle how amazing this channel is!

[@stevezora2587]

she's a master of teaching! I bet she could tell any story,like a tale from Grimms Bruder, will still be soooo nice to listen; toda

[@thickymcchicky6987]

Hey! I loved this episode! Very interesting! Do you guys think you can do a video on the Dinocephaleans from the early to mid Permian period? Thanks!

[@mastery7901]

For reference to anyone: 2:27 380 Mya is 39 Mya into Devonian period (out of 60 Mya) , 325 Mya is middle Carboniferous period. where Mya - Million Years Ago The Carboniferous follows from the Devonian period. Approximate timeline (Dates open to debate/change. Rounded off without decimal values): Devonian Period: 419 Mya. - 358 Mya Carboniferous Period: 358 Mya. - 298 Mya 👍

[@AphidKirby]

I am,,, so happy this channel exists!! This topic is super interesting and I couldn't be gladder it was covered by you!

[@ROBERTGOTSCHALL-j8u]

Modern spiders “fly” with silk parachutes, over mountains. It’s plausible that insects were not the first arthropods to fly. It has also been suggested that the first “wings” were not used to get off the ground into the air, but to get out of the air unto the ground. Some small insects become airborne involuntarily.

[@nodnalneyugn8753]

I love this channel! I’m binging on these videos. Thank you pbs digital studio

[@notajetplane]

This is my favorite channel on KZbin. I just wish there were more fossils to tell a more complete history of Earth's evolution.

[@Sa-fd7ih]

Another perfectly narrated video 👏🏻 As a non-native English speaker, thank you for your clear and beautiful pronunciations 💖

[@cassieg4486]

This is one of the best channels on youtube right now. Keep up the amazing work!

[@shinkoryu14]

Found this channel yesterday, and just finished binge-watching all the videos. It's amazing! I love learning about natural history. Do you think you could do a video on the evolutionary success of crocodylomorpha? It's pretty interesting that this family line managed to survive from the late Triassic all the way into the modern day.

[@djpat5998]

It would be cool to be able to go back in time to see all that wildlife alive.

[@dariusrose9909]

Could you guys maybe do a video on Island Dwarfism in Prehistory!

[@safron2442]

Yes

[@nakenmil]

And maybe island gigantism too?

[@dariusrose9909]

Enthused Norseman Definitely! Especially the giant lemurs of Madagascar.

[@haseo8244]

Or giant eagle of new Zealand that hunt moa

[@ScionStorm1]

What? Haven't Samoans always been tall? ;p

[@Radi0ActivSquid]

This channel makes me smile so much that I come back to watch old episodes.

[@thunderousavenger7437]

I just Wanted to thank you guys right now for putting such imformative and great content onto this platform i love learning such things!

[@TheodoreManthovani]

Man, i love how insect's wings are still a mystery to be solved. Though i would be happier if we already solved it and move on to the next.

[@Senio6667]

Please can we have an epsiode on bats. Mammals only attempt into the sky!

[@Naiadryade]

Depends on how you define attempt! There are a handful of other mammals that glide quite well, such as flying squirrels, colugos, and sugar gliders. But yes, I'd be all for an episode on bat evolution.

[@fukpoeslaw3613]

Homo Sapiens Sapiens attempted quite nicely.

[@felafnirelek8987]

I mean... planes

[@AnalyticalReckoner]

hot air balloons

[@theholypopechodeii4367]

Naiadryade But aren't bats the only mammals capable of true, powered flight?

[@samuelmiensinompe4902]

Flying insects probably evolved when they started to make sound with muscles on their backs. Some of them lay on top of pods and found out that by vibrating their sound part for breeding propelled them forward. From that, they grew larger since they gained more speed by doing such across the steady water they laid on ponds. The more speed they gained by the structure being better at flapping, the more speed they gained across ponds until they started flying.

[@SuperManning11]

This is such an amazing channel. Thank you!

[@feral1000]

Oh and thanks for the great videos. Learned so much from this channel.

[@ernestuz]

I am addict to the Space Time channel and this one. Well done!

[@FiddlerForest]

I love this channel SO MUCH! I imagine one day watching this with my future children and teaching them about this stuff. If you folks add some physical loot to patreon like clever dino shirts, pretty info graphics or what not, i'd be all over it!

[@ironsnowflake1076]

I must admit that most flying insects will forever creep me out, however this vid was very interesting and thought provoking, thumbs way up =)

[@bunabobby]

For me I’m always amazed at looking at bugs through a screen but freak out when a spider crawls up the window.

[@william41017]

Check out the channel Deep Look, maybe it'll change your mind

[@ironsnowflake1076]

Buna (shriek!) I know right, if you're looking for the stuff of future nightmares, check out the Whip spider (maybe you've already seen them), they aren't "true" spiders though, they are somehow related to horseshoe crabs and scorpions I think. They have these little pincer pinchers on the ends of two of their legs, AAAARRRRGGGG! NO! just NO!

[@ironsnowflake1076]

william41017 My son and I loved watching Monster Bug Wars on science channel I believe, and also David Attenborough's series, Into the Undergrowth, of course I would be twisting the throw pillows and casting furtive glances into the corners of the room the entire time :)

[@ironsnowflake1076]

william41017 thank you for the recommendation, just subscribed to the channel, and can already see that they have amazing content (going to be checking corners and twisting pillows, lol)

[@absolutshadow876]

One of the best science channels on KZbin

[@frilliflove2424]

I just love that they post their sources. True scientific honesty

[@AuthorLillith]

I'm writing a paper over Paleoentomology, and this information is great! i've already used some of the information form your Trouble with Trilobites and Carbiniferous videos, and it is all great! It does not help, however, that the scientific community cannot come to one conclusion over the origin of insect flight. Still, great video!

[@djisar]

Great job explaining this, thank you.

[@MasterGhostf]

I will always be creeped out by insects, but I have to say, they are probably the most amazing group of animals in the animal kingdom. They just are so diverse and fill every niche, and they do it very effectively. They may not be as glamorous as large species, but they will always survive.

[@_Swink]

I feel like plants, and definitely Fungi need some more attention on this channel! Curious about how fungi differ from plant life, and how they evolved to function more similarly to fauna in the way they "breath" oxygen.

[@SevenPr1me]

Matt Ruetz you should explore the channel bruh

[@_Swink]

JumPInfectioN I've watched all their videos, they have I think 2 that are only on fungi. It's a fascinating branch of life that I'm curious about, that's all

[@xxXthekevXxx]

I, too, am very interested in fungi and other multicellular life that is neither plant nor animal. It’s so alien!

[@starfan4019]

I loved your wonderful top. It’s so nice that palaeontologists have evolved beyond the fleece and walking boots in the early ‘nerdonian’.

[@JulioGanacim]

i really enjoy this channel. More insect related videos would be nice. Especially the social ones.

[@Lycancass89]

I think I speak for everyone when I say I wish wasps had not grown wings... Love the moth pin!

[@m.a.d.m.5425]

I love his channel! Thank you for another post! The content is so informative and enriching. ♥️

[@nutyyyy]

It always surprising me how often really important old fossils come from Scotland. It's easy to forget living here that it was once South of the equator and a very tropical place at just the right time to preserve a lot of these ancient arthropods and early vertebrates.

[@baneofbanes]

Yah the highlands in Scotland are old rock. Once where part of the same mountain chain that made the Appalachians and the Atlas Mountains.

[@confusedmango6557]

Me:i would like to thank the one who taught me everything School:stands up Me:sit the f**** down Pbs eons:stands up

[@Amelia2010rrhl]

Honestly this is one of my favorite of your videos, I've watched it at least 6x

[@od1452]

Some little bugs seem to really struggle to fly... they seem clumsy ... even considering outside influences like a breeze.

[@torvaldask7193]

I really love that you include references in your videos

[@lorenzoodierna1867]

It's interesting: I work with Drosophila melanogaster and some mutations we use to phenotypically track their genotypes change their halteres into tiny useless wings... I should read up on that a bit more but its an example of how a prexisting anatomical structure in flies has the ability to become a wing with relatively little genetic manipulation.

[@Marixchatt]

It seems like halteres evolved from the wings themselves and not the other way around so this really isn’t a big deal that primitive genes are reverting them back to the wings they used to be.

[@lorenzoodierna1867]

Shaniqua Nice, makes sense. Just something I noticed in passing. Thanks for the response.

[@Alusnovalotus]

Is there an award for channels like this? And why haven’t 12 been given yet?

[@travelers8607]

YES! New Video! :D Love you guys! (Question: Any chance of you guys doing a video about the viability of the science discussed in Michael Crichton 1990's novel "Jurassic Park"?)

[@weissquaeul]

I didn't know I'm living right by where the first insect with wings was (probably) found, in Delitzsch - learn something new every day :D

[@reversegoat3260]

Mosses and other bryophyts would be a neat video.

[@duhduhvesta]

Reverse Goat lichen evolution is crazy subject!

[@soundofspace8026]

can you make a top ten of "the weirdest looking prehistoric animals you have never heard off"? I was honestly blown away when you made the video about that weird horse relative that looked like a silverback gorilla. I had never heard off something that unique looking before

[@Hypatia4242]

I remember a lecture (from eons ago...) where it was suggested primitive insects that liked to walk along water developed wings to keep something dry and to help them 'hop' and escape the surface tension of a pond, etc. Has that idea been thrown out?

[@tophat665]

The other hypothesis which springs immediately to mind is that some really tiny insects, say springtails, in a windy environment developed exoskeletal structures to direct a bit where they were blown to. Evolutionary imperatives would refine it from the first marginally successful structure.

[@jamesbentonticer4706]

Everytime I watch one of these videos I think, okay that's what I want to study for the rest of my life.

[@nd6112]

I love the music that plays in these episodes, it's so ethereal and just sparks the feeling of curiosity and wonder.

[@mact5]

I would be interested to hear how they determine the age of these older, more fragile fossils.

[@gravel9270]

Carbon dating?

[@billyhuffman7256]

maybe look into the eras on which plants started flowering? flowers are definitely used to attract potential pollenizers. I get hammered and watch these videos. Absolutely love these videos.

[@MJ-cq6gz]

Plot twist: insect wings did come from adapted forelimbs, because they're actually spiders, and life just got 1000% scarier because everything is spiders.

[@Neko-ir4jq]

Noooo shhhhh I already hate them enough

[@archerkurby1300]

As a suggestion, I'd person would like to see a video about the evolution and diversification of elephants (which includes mammoths, mastodons, and everything in-between)

[@nebulan]

I think you could have gone into more depth about what the insects were doing before flowers. Your video shots implied insects used their flight to get food from flowers but flowers didn't show up until the Cretaceous. What were insects doing in the Paleozoic that needed flight?

[@lindsay1422]

nebulan Escaping from predators, easier access to food sources, greater maneuverability, less competition (at least initially when wings first formed), better hunting, the ability to travel greater distances, ect. I don't think they addressed it because the benefits of having wings are numerous.

[@fishyfishyfishy500akabs8]

Well he is saying that why did they show flowers, also a dragonfly hovering would be more appropriate

[@lindsay1422]

The photos they show are from very skilled artists such as Julio Lecerda. I follow his work quite closely. They collaborate with these artists and often select pictures from their galleries. The artists don't specifically draw pictures for each episode. So Eons is simply using what these artists have produced in the past. And often the artists draw the insects near flowers. If the artists didn't draw pictures with insects not near flowers, then Eons went with the next best thing.

[@fishyfishyfishy500akabs8]

one thing though, the part they are talking about is the clip of the wasp flying near flowers

[@lindsay1422]

Fishyfishyfishy500 AKA BS Seriously? A few clips of a wasp or butterfly near flowers and that's enough to assume that they're only connecting flight to flowers? The total time on screen of those clips is about five seconds. Please. They in no way were implying that flight only developed to help pollinate. Nit picking such clips is stupid. The time periods they are referring to are obviously long before flowers appeared. Don't criticize something that is unwarrented of criticism. Now if they actually get their facts wrong and claim that insects developed flight in order to pollinate, then you'd actually have a case.

[@michaelbeholder]

Girl Im SOOO thankful the multiverse has found you! Youre the PERFECTTTT PBS EONS spokeswoman!!!!!!!!