Life On Earth

[Corpulent Tosser]

I was having a discussion, of sorts, and we were talking about the number of creatures on earth presently and previously.
Now I know (sure I read it someplace) there are more humans on earth than at any time in the past, but what of other creatures.
My thoughts are that there are more living creatures on earth now than at any other time, this has been questioned. The other chap thinks that in early periods there were vast numbers of insects which would have meant more creature in total.

I have done the google thing and not come up with anything.

So, over to PH, links to websites which might give such info, or just opinion.

[Eric Mc]

Nobody knows.

[Corpulent Tosser]

Eric Mc said:

Nobody knows.

This is PH, somebody must know, this is after all the font of all knowledge is it not ?

[andy_s]

I don't know, but I do know that if you collected all the animal biolife on earth together then ants would make up a quarter of the weight...

[cobra kid]

42?

[Plotloss]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomass_(ecology)

[Eric Mc]

Corpulent Tosser said:

Eric Mc said:

Nobody knows.

This is PH, somebody must know, this is after all the font of all knowledge is it not ?

And I think I just gave the most knowledgeable answer.

We aren't that sure what the biomass levels of today are. It is virtually impossible to work out what biomass levels were millions (if not hundreds of millions or even thousands of millions of years ago).

Edited by Eric Mc on Wednesday 1st September 09:39

[Emsman]

There are at least a dozen wasps in my garden today, all near the Pear tree.
I also saw a small spider in the lounge yesterday, so if we can assume it's not dead, can we add these to the total when it gets posted- just to ensure accuracy

[GTIR]

Eric Mc said:

We aren't that sure what the biomass levels of toady are.

Harsh.

He's lost quite a bit of weight and got a good job with excellent career prospects. Give him some slack man!

[Tokar]

Bacteria. Trillions and trillions of them. Always. Everywhere.

[Emsman]

GTIR said:

Eric Mc said:

We aren't that sure what the biomass levels of toady are.

Harsh.

He's lost quite a bit of weight and got a good job with excellent career prospects. Give him some slack man!

isn't that cock womble?

[NDA]

Emsman said:

There are at least a dozen wasps in my garden today, all near the Pear tree.
I also saw a small spider in the lounge yesterday, so if we can assume it's not dead, can we add these to the total when it gets posted- just to ensure accuracy

+ 3 ants and a bee thing.

Is someone going to keep a total?

12 wasps
1 spider
3 ants
1 bee

This might be better off on an excel sheet if we're going to to the planet.

Edited by NDA on Wednesday 1st September 09:41

[The Hitman]

I believe there is around 200 million insects for every human alive today.

[The real Apache]

Thing is, all these beasties eat each other, and not in a nice way, so how do you value the weight of one beastie when its inside another one? you could be looking at a whole bunch of em when in fact all you can see is a few, reletively fat and contented big beaties.

[cal72]

Pointless Q imo.

By the time you got to bag em and tag em half would have died of old age.

Think best way is to think of the planet as a single living organism and be done with it.
so the answer is 1.0000000000000000000000000000000215374573747857387583.1

Edit for the Wasps

Edited by cal72 on Wednesday 1st September 10:00

[NDA]

cal72 said:

Think best way is to think of the planet as a single living organism and be done with it.
so the answer is 1.

And some wasps.

[chim]

Its worked out in Biomass, we make up only 0.5% of the earths Biomass, in comparison, Ants make up 15% and termites another 15%. The total Biomass for all Animals is around 5% if I remember correctly.

[Faust66]

Bear in mind that approx 97% of species that have ever existed are extinct...

[ewenm]

chim said:

Its worked out in Biomass, we make up only 0.5% of the earths Biomass, in comparison, Ants make up 15% and termites another 15%. The total Biomass for all Animals is around 5% if I remember correctly.

Eh? Are ants and termites not classed as animals then? Or do you mean mammals?

[philthy]

The real Apache said:

so how do you value the weight of one beastie when its inside another one?

Ask the wife......?