Récords olímpicos: humanos vs insectos

Based on observations, measurements and literature on the sport abilities of insects within the three recognized catego-ries of the Olympic Summer Games, athletics, gymnastics and swimming, some sporting marks, recently established by men and women, are compared with those, which specific insects sustain since millions of years. If these arthropods would compete with athletes, they would gain all compe-tences, in which their characteristics would permit their par-ticipation, in both world and Olympic Game . In weight lifting, within any category, dung beetles and ants would compete, winning the gold medals the first group, to which the sacred dung beetles of the ancient Egyptians belong. They will be challenged by the rhinoceros beetle, Dynastes hercules, em-blematic scarab of the South-American rainforests, includ-ing Colombia . The aquatic bugs of the families Notonectidae and Corixidae are swimmers by excellence of both styles, back and breast and, it is not the flea which sustains the world record of high and large jumps, but a spittlebug or froghopper (Cercopidae), an insect pest of alfalfa. Equally, and as it happens during the Olympic Games, where some-body takes a record away from an athlete, an other insect beats the score of the American cockroach as fastest runner . Fortunately, humans do not compete in games with insects, but do so, although with limited extent, with some of them for food.

• Autores: Zenner de Polanía, Ingeborg
• Tipo de recurso: Article of journal
• Fecha de publicación: 2012
• Institución: Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales U.D.C.A
• Repositorio: Repositorio Institucional UDCA
• Idioma: spa
• OAI Identifier: oai:repository.udca.edu.co:11158/1993
• Acceso en línea: https://revistas.udca.edu.co/index.php/ruadc/article/view/891
• Palabra clave: Juegos olímpicos; Competencias deportivas; Olimpíadas de verano; Marcas; Cucaracha; Pulga
• Rights: openAccess
• License: Derechos Reservados - Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales