Massive Jurassic fleas employed stout sucking siphons to feast on dinosaurs [View all]

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http://www.thestatecolumn.com/articles/2012/03/03/massive-jurassic-fleas-employed-stout-sucking-siphons-to-feast-on-dinosaurs/

Massive Jurassic fleas feasted on dinosaur blood with stout sucking siphons, according to a study published in the journal Nature Wednesday. The massive Jurassic fleas measured approximately one inch long, researchers reveal.

“That’s a beast,” said Michael Engel, one of the study’s authors and a palaeoentomologist at the University of Kansas, according to The Associated Press. “It was a big critter. I can’t even imagine coming home and finding my miniature schnauzer with one or more of these things crawling around on it,” Mr. Engel added.

The massive Jurassic fleas were many times bigger than modern day fleas. While the ancient fleas measured nearly an inch long, modern day fleas are typically 2-3 millimeters, according to How It Works Magazine.

Modern day fleas have a variety of hosts from which to choose. Cat, dog and human fleas prefer the blood of their respective hosts, although these types of fleas can also be found sucking the blood of other mammals. The massive Jurassic flea had a much larger host, but the physical makeup of its mouthparts gave it the perfect set of tools for dining on the blood of dinosaurs.


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