| Meganeura Temporal range: Kasimovian to Gzhelian | |
|---|---|
| |
| A Walking with Monsters poster with Meganeura | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Clade: | Odonatoptera |
| Order: | Meganisoptera |
| Family: | Meganeuridae |
| Genus: | †Meganeura Brongniart, 1885 |
| Species: | M. brongniarti |
| Binomial name | |
| Meganeura brongniarti Brongniart, 1885 | |
Meganeura (meaning 'large-nerved') is a genus of large dragonfly like insect with a 75 centimeter wingspan, and it lived in the Late Carboniferous around 300 million years ago, and became extinct at the turning of the period. In its age, it was the largest of all flying animals, and would rival the birds in size were it alive today. It did not just eat insects and arthropods, like its closest living relative, the dragonfly, as other prey was available, such as the swift Petrolacosaurus. Its legs were covered in spines and, with the help of its 'tail limbs', could grasp very effectively at this prey. Meganeura probably later evolved into the slightly smaller Meganeuropsis.
The complete compound eyes with many lenses were just like those of modern adult insect.
Size[]
Meganeura has the wingspan the same as an eagle, with an average of 0.75
In Popular Culture[]
- In Walking with Monsters, Meganeura are shown living in Kansas during Late Pennsylvanian, 300 million years ago. In one scene, griffinflies are seen avoiding Proterogyrinus bites as they fly overhead. Actually, no Meganeura specimens have been found in Kansas or anywhere else in the United States. Various meganeurids including Megatypus, Oligotypus and Meganeuropsis are known from Kansas, but all from the Permian strata. Proterogyrinus did not coexist with Meganeura and became extinct even before the first meganeurids appeared.
- In Prehistoric Park, Nigel Marven attempts to capture one of the Meganeura as to transport it back to the park to study it in the insect house.
- Meganeura appeared in Sea Rex 3D Journey To A Prehistoric World.
- Meganeura briefly appeared in the 2011 National Geographic Documentary Earth: The Making of Planet.
- Meganeura was mentioned in Giant Monsters with Jeff Corwin.
- Meganeura appeared in the video game Jurassic Park III: Park Builder.
- Meganeura appeared in Jurassic Park Amiga game version.
- Meganeura appeared on Dinosaur Train as a silhouette in the episode "Back in Time".
- It also made a brief appearance in the series Primeval New World.
- It’s possible it was seen in Terra Nova.
Gallery[]
Meganeura/Gallery