Praearcturus gigas Confirmed as 1-Meter Largest Known Scorpion From 415 Million Years Ago
Updated
Updated · VICE · Jun 13
Praearcturus gigas Confirmed as 1-Meter Largest Known Scorpion From 415 Million Years Ago
3 articles · Updated · VICE · Jun 13
Summary
Nearly 1 meter long with 16-centimeter pincers, Praearcturus gigas has been confirmed as the largest scorpion yet identified from the fossil record.
CT scans and 3D modeling of fossil fragments from the St Maughan’s Sandstone Formation in England and Wales showed a triangular sternum, settling a long-running debate over whether the remains belonged to a scorpion or giant crustacean.
The animal lived about 415 million years ago in the Early Devonian and may have split its time between land and freshwater, reflecting an era when arthropods were still adapting to life on land.
Its size is notable because it predates the high-oxygen forested world often linked to arthropod gigantism, leading researchers to suggest low predation pressure helped it grow so large.