When the Chicxulub asteroid struck Earth, it annihilated the dinosaur population, but it failed to achieve the same fate for cockroaches, and there are reasons for this phenomenon.
The Chicxulub asteroid impacted Earth 66 million years ago, nearly wiping out all the dinosaurs that dominated our planet’s surface. However, it could not do the same to the cockroaches—these remarkable “little survivors” that have persisted from that time to the present day.
At the moment of impact, Chicxulub triggered a massive explosion, igniting a series of earthquakes and causing volcanic activity. Three-quarters of the existing animal and plant species were eradicated, except for those that were the ancestors of today’s birds.
The asteroid that destroyed the dinosaurs could not kill the cockroaches.
This raises many questions about how such a small, seemingly fragile creature like the cockroach managed to survive, while the ruling giants like the Tyrannosaurus rex could not.
Research has revealed that cockroaches possess innate characteristics that enable them to survive catastrophic events. Their flat bodies are not a coincidence; this morphology allows them to squeeze into small crevices and evade predators, or in this specific case, the devastating impacts of the collision.
When the Chicxulub asteroid struck the Earth, it resulted in numerous consequences. First, the impact caused a massive explosion, rapidly increasing temperatures in the atmosphere. While most animals had nowhere to escape and faced the risk of burning to death, the “little survivors” could burrow into cracks in the ground to escape the heat.
Moreover, the air at that time was laden with dust from the impact. The thick layer of dust blocked sunlight from reaching the ground, causing surface temperatures to drop rapidly.
The extreme weather conditions rendered many plant species unable to survive. Their extinction indirectly led to the demise of creatures that depended on plant populations for food. However, for cockroaches, survival was significantly easier. As omnivores, they can eat almost anything, from animal matter to plants, and even waste. These advantages have allowed them to survive through numerous disasters, from the Chicxulub asteroid to the present day.
Finally, another characteristic that helped them avoid extinction is their strong, durable egg cases, ensuring that a new generation of cockroaches continues to thrive on Earth. These egg cases function like a protective phone case, designed to shield the contents from strong impacts or harsh environmental conditions such as floods or droughts.
With each egg case capable of producing up to 50 hatchlings, these tiny “warriors” have managed to persist through many generations, even into modern times. They can survive in both hot tropical climates and the coldest places on Earth.
According to scientific estimates, there are approximately 4,000 different species of cockroaches worldwide. Some of these species thrive in human habitats and quickly become pests.
It is important to note that once cockroaches settle in a building, they are extremely difficult to eradicate completely. When they accumulate in large numbers in unsanitary environments, they can spread diseases. The greatest threat that cockroaches pose to human health is the allergens they release, which can trigger asthma.
Cockroaches are hard-to-control pests because they can develop resistance to many types of chemical pesticides, along with the aforementioned natural traits, which have enabled them to outlive many dinosaur species. However, cockroaches are not just pests that need to be controlled. Researchers are currently studying their body structure and movement patterns to gather information and ideas for better robot design.
