Scientists have discovered that metre-long scorpions with 16cm pincers, named Praearcturus gigas, once roamed the floodplains of England and Wales. These scorpions lived approximately 415 million years ago during the Early Devonian period, a time before the evolution of trees when land life was just beginning.
Fossil Discovery
Researchers from the University of Manchester identified the species from fossils, some of which had been held at the Natural History Museum for over 150 years and were previously mistaken for crustaceans. The Praearcturus gigas is considered the largest scorpion of its kind ever to exist, fundamentally changing understanding of how and when these creatures evolved to such extraordinary sizes.
Implications for Evolution
Scientists suggest the scorpion likely lived a semi-aquatic life, partly in water, which may have contributed to its immense size due to fewer large competitors on land. This discovery sheds new light on the early evolution of scorpions and the conditions that allowed them to grow so large.
