Giant Dinosaur Fleas!

[3113]

No, not a new curse phrase. Seriously. They found giant dinosaur fleas. From this article:

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....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.

So now we know why Dino, the Flintstone's pet dinosaur, would sometimes sit and scratch

Here's another article on finding the flea, and here's a picture of the sucker:

http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20120301/470_dinosaur_fleas_120301.jpg

 

[ishtat]

"Great fleas have lesser fleas upon their backs to bite'em,
And little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum.

And greater fleas, themselves, in turn, have greater fleas to go on,
While these again, have greater still, and greater still, and so on."


Augustus de Morgan

 

[R. Richard]

Congrats, 3113, you have found the common ancestor of politicians!

 

[oggbashan]

How about Giant Isopods, a deep sea relation of the woodlouse?

 

[Angellica1612]

Congrats, 3113, you have found the common ancestor of politicians!

LMAO!

 

[TE999]

Brian W. Aldiss wrote a sci-fi story about a time traveler hunting dinos. When he killed one for a trophy, it's fleas jumped off and devoured him. These beauties could do the job handily.

The story was called 'Poor Little Warrior'.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Ewww! And the mouth parts of those monsters would certainly be up to the job. A saw-toothed proboscis? Just the ticket for sawing through dinohide!