Cockroaches defy extinction “How cockroaches survived the meteor that killed the dinosaurs”

When the space rock now known as the Chicxulub Effect smashed into Earth 66 million years ago, cockroaches were there.

The impact caused a massive earthquake, and scientists believe it also caused a volcanic eruption thousands of miles away from the impact site. Three-quarters of Earth's plants and animals died, including most dinosaurs, with the exception of some species that were the ancestors of today's birds.

How can crickets a few inches long survive when so many powerful animals are extinct? It turned out that she was well equipped to live in a meteorite disaster.

And if you've seen a cockroach, you've probably noticed that their bodies are very flat. This is no accident. Flat insects can press themselves into tighter places. This enables her to hide practically anywhere - and may have helped her survive the impact of Chicxulub.

When the meteorite hit, temperatures rose on the Earth's surface. Many animals had nowhere to run, but crickets can take shelter in tiny crevices of the soil, which provide excellent protection from the heat.

The impact of the meteorite caused a series of effects. And it stirred up so much dust that the sky darkened. As the sun disappears, temperatures drop and conditions become wintry all over the world. With little sunlight, the remaining plants struggled to grow.

And unlike some insects that prefer to eat a particular plant, cockroaches are deadly carnivores. This means that they eat most foods that come from animals or plants, as well as cardboard, some types of clothing, and even faeces. And the presence of a non-selective appetite has allowed cockroaches to survive difficult times since the Chicxulub extinction and other natural disasters.

Another useful feature is that cockroaches lay their eggs in small protective bags. These egg cartons look like dried beans and are called oothecae, which means "egg sacks".

The oothecae are tough and protect their contents from physical damage and other threats, such as floods and droughts. Modern cockroaches are tiny survivors that are able to live anywhere on Earth, from the heat of the tropics to some of the coldest parts of the world. Scientists estimate that there are more than 4,000 species of cockroaches.

A handful of these species like to live with humans and quickly turn into pests. Once cockroaches have taken root in the building, it is difficult to get rid of these insects. When large numbers of cockroaches are in unsanitary areas, they can spread diseases. The biggest threat they pose to human health is the allergens they produce, which can trigger asthma attacks and allergic reactions in some people.

Cockroach pests are difficult to deal with because they can resist many chemical insecticides, and because they have the same abilities that helped their ancestors survive after many dinosaurs. However, cockroaches are much more than a controllable pest. Researchers are studying cockroaches to understand how they move and how their bodies are designed, to get ideas for building better robots.

The report's author, Brian Lovett, a postdoctoral researcher in mycology at West Virginia University, said he sees all insects as a beautiful, six-legged muse. "If another meteorite hits Earth, I would be more worried about humans than cockroaches," he added.