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Anonymous
Insects are limited in size because they breathe through their skin. As mass (cubed) increases faster than surface area (squared), they can only reach a certain size before they can no longer take in enough oxygen to suport themselves.
Arthropleura lived in the Carboniferous, when oxygen levels were much much higher than today, so insects could grow to enormous sizes. Because there's not as much oxygen around today, we can't get insects that size. Which may be a good thing. Spiders breathe the same way and I don't want to find one the size of a dog on my bath ;0;
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