Tag

Oxygen

All articles tagged with #oxygen

Oxygen wasn’t the bottleneck for giant Paleozoic insects, new study finds
science14 days ago

Oxygen wasn’t the bottleneck for giant Paleozoic insects, new study finds

A new study across 44 insect species shows that the tracheal system in insects wouldn’t need dramatic expansion as size increases, meaning the ancient giants like Meganeuropsis permiana could still deliver oxygen efficiently. The finding undermines the long-held oxygen-constrain hypothesis and suggests giant bugs weren’t blocked by atmospheric oxygen after all; other factors—predation by aerial vertebrates, heat buildup during flight, molting/structural constraints, and open circulation—likely helped limit insect size, with future research exploring the role of air sacs in ventilation.

Giant Griffinflies May Not Have Needed Oxygen After All, New Study Says
science15 days ago

Giant Griffinflies May Not Have Needed Oxygen After All, New Study Says

A new study challenges the long-held view that high atmospheric oxygen powered giant prehistoric insects like griffinflies, showing that flying insects’ internal tracheal systems can supply oxygen to flight muscles, which could allow large sizes even today; if confirmed, this suggests oxygen levels were not the limiting factor, though researchers note other causes may explain why such giants disappeared.

Insect giants escape oxygen-diffusion limits in flight muscles
science16 days ago

Insect giants escape oxygen-diffusion limits in flight muscles

A cross-species analysis of 44 insect species across 10 orders (plus the 100 g Meganeuropsis permiana) shows the tracheolar space in flight muscles rises only about 1.8-fold over a 10,000‑fold range in body mass and is typically 1% or less. This argues that diffusion of oxygen through the tracheolar–muscle system does not constrain maximum insect size, including gigantism. The study highlights that even a threefold increase in tracheolar space would markedly affect oxygen delivery but have only modest effects on flight, challenging the long-held view that atmospheric oxygen limits insect gigantism and pointing to other factors shaping their evolution.

Jupiter Found to Be 1.5x Oxygen-Rich Compared to the Sun
space2 months ago

Jupiter Found to Be 1.5x Oxygen-Rich Compared to the Sun

Using data from NASA's Juno and Galileo missions, researchers built a combined chemistry–hydrodynamics model of Jupiter's atmosphere. They find Jupiter may contain about 1.5 times the Sun's oxygen—far more than earlier estimates of roughly one-third—much of which is in water. The study also shows gas diffusion in Jupiter's atmosphere could be 35–40 times slower than previously thought, a result that informs theories about how the planet formed from icy material near the frost line.

Oxygen Clues Rewrite Jupiter’s Formation Story
space2 months ago

Oxygen Clues Rewrite Jupiter’s Formation Story

New 1D chemistry and 2D hydrodynamic models suggest Jupiter contains about 1.5 times more oxygen than the Sun and that its atmospheric circulation is slower than previously thought, refining theories of gas-giant formation; the work builds on NASA’s Juno data revealing complex weather and a possible fuzzy core, as the mission continues through 2025 with a planned end that preserves the moons from Earth microbes.

New simulations suggest Jupiter harbors 1.5 times the Sun’s oxygen
space2 months ago

New simulations suggest Jupiter harbors 1.5 times the Sun’s oxygen

A detailed set of simulations modeling Jupiter’s interior atmosphere finds the gas giant contains about 1.5 times more oxygen than the Sun, likely due to Jupiter’s early accretion of icy material beyond the snow line. The models couple atmospheric chemistry with hydrodynamics, explaining why deep oxygen (mostly in water) is hidden from direct measurement and suggesting slower deep atmospheric circulation (gas movement taking weeks). The findings support formation scenarios for Jupiter and offer insight into the solar system’s history, with the study published Jan 8 in the Planetary Science Journal.