Replies

The nature of insect respiration and the fact that surface area increases as a square and volume as a cube.

Sounds almost like an argument for ID. Was that your intent?

>>The nature of insect respiration and the fact that surface area increases as a square and volume as a cube.<<

Sounds almost like an argument for ID. Was that your intent?

No. I don't even see how it could be. What is your ID "theory" on inspect respiration?

At any rate, it shows the opposite, in fact. The limitations on the size of insects is nothing more than an accident of their ancestry (contingency of history) coupled with limitations based upon physics. At a certain size it simply can't exchange oxygen or carbon dioxide efficiently enough.

FWIW, I think the fact that it has an exoskeleton and not internal support is also another major factor in the size of insects. I didn't mention that previously.