Giant Devonian scorpion identified from 400-million-year-old fossils in Britain
Researchers have reclassified the 400-million-year-old fossil Praearcturus gigas as a giant scorpion rather than a crustacean. Using advanced CT scanning and digital reconstruction, the team identified anatomical features that confirm its status as one of Earth's earliest apex predators.
Why it matters
This discovery resolves a 150-year-old paleontological debate and provides new insights into the evolutionary history of early arthropods.
A giant scorpion that lived more than 410 million years ago may have been one of the earliest apex predators on Earth and could have spent much of its life in water, according to a new study published in Palaeontology . Researchers re-examined the fossil of the arthropod Praearcturus gigas and concluded that it was a giant scorpion rather than a crustacean, resolving a debate that has persisted for more than 150 years.
The article reports on scientific findings based on peer-reviewed research without political or social framing.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in