Protodonata

"Only now do we know the true story- Megarachne was a giant prehistoric sea scorpion." The following card or its illustration are outdated. When transcribing the information from the card itself, please refrain from updating or changing the text in the process, and leave this for the trivia section.

Protodonata
Front Back
Monsters of the Past
Previous	Dinogorgon
Next	Psittacosaurus
Card	94
Creature Features
Order	Protodonata
Size	Length up to 16 in.; Wingspan up to 2.5 ft.
Where?	Fossils have been found on all continents except Antarctica
Prey	Other insects
Did You Know?
Some of the first full-size helicopters ever built were named "dragonflies."

Millions of years ago, almost everything seemed to come in one size: big. Count protodonata in that group, which were ancient, dragonfly-like creatures.They were the biggest insects ever known on Earth. These monstrous insects were probably the first creatures to fly. They could perform aerial maneuvers never seen before by any prey, or predators. This gave the dragonflies a survival advantage that lasted until the dinosaurs came along.

Does it Quack? Protodonata looked much like modern dragonflies-but were much bigger. The largest known species had a wingspan of 2.5 feet! With a body that measured 16 inches long, this insect was nearly as big as a duck (but a lot thinner).

Slight Advantage: These ancient creatures had huge eyes, and probably had better vision than other insects in its day. They could spot prey and zoom in before the victims could see them coming.

First in Flight

Well-preserved fossils show the wing detail of this prehistoric protodonata.

Not only were protodonata the biggest insects ever known on Earth, but scientists also believe they were the first creatures ever to fly. Like modern dragonflies (right), these giants were agile in the air. They could make tight turns and dive sharply after prey, and could hover in place and even fly backward. Modern dragonflies were said to be the inspiration for the invention of the helicopter in the early 20th century, but nature had the design perfected 300 million years before humans existed!

In-Flight Meal: These insects had small spines on their legs, much like their modern relatives do. They used these to grab prey from the ground and trap them so the protodonata could take off and eat them in the air with their strong jaws.

Live Long: Protodonata were great survivors, even surviving a mass extinction that killed 90% of all life. The rise of dinosaurs, especially small quick ones that fed on insects, led to protodonata's extinction. Smaller relatives lived on, eventually leading to dragonflies.

Timeline

Protodonata lived from 300 to 240 million years ago, from the Carboniferous Period through the Triassic Period.

Trading Card

Giant Dragonfly This prehistoric insect looked and acted much like modern dragonflies, but was 10 times the size! These were the first creatures on the planet that were able to fly and attack prey from the air. Say What? This was the biggest insect ever on Earth. Stats Life 120 Attack 6 Defense 5

Trivia

• The trading card has a different name from the knowledge card; the trading card uses a common name, rather than the scientific name used on the card.
• The order Protodonata is no longer valid, as the creature was recently renamed to Meganisoptera.
• The protodonata is featured in Timeline Tracker on Monster Mania 73.
• Protodonata shares the subheading "First in Flight" with Archaeopteryx and Coelurosauravus.