Insects have been around for nearly 400 million years, serving as important decomposers and food sources. During the Permian period, 300 million years ago, thanks to an increased oxygen level and humid climates, insects grew to large proportions, with some species like the Arthroplura reaching lengths of 3 meters or 10 feet. Following the Permian-Triassic Extinction, also known as the Great Dying, where 57% of all life vanished, the surviving insect groups remained largely unchanged into the modern age. This allows their ancestors to be easily identified by today’s standards despite being millions of years old.
