- Giant scorpions as large as modern Labrador dogs lived in ancient Britain 415 million years ago
- Praearcturus gigas reached over a meter in length, far bigger than today's scorpions
- These scorpions were apex predators in shallow seas and coastal environments of early Britain
Giant scorpions that rivalled the size of modern Labrador dogs once roamed what is now Britain, according to a new study of ancient fossils. Researchers at The University of Manchester and the Natural History Museum, analysing 415-million-year-old remains, found evidence of a scorpion species that could reach over a meter in length. Which means, they were as big as a large dog, far bigger than any scorpion alive today.
According to the study, published in the journal Palaeontology, these creatures, named Praearcturus gigas, lived when much of Britain was covered by shallow seas and coastal environments. Latest findings suggest that they were apex predators of their time, using powerful claws and venom to hunt in water and on land, not the small arachnids we know now.
"When we think of giant arthropods, people often picture Carboniferous rainforests with giant millipedes or dragonfly-like insects from later in Earth's history," Dr Richard J Howard, Curator of Fossil Arthropods at the Natural History Museum, London, and lead author of the study, said in a statement.
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"But Praearcturus lived at least 50 million years earlier, well before the evolution of trees, when life on land was only just getting started."
"Confirming that this animal is a scorpion fundamentally changes our understanding of how and when these creatures evolved to such extraordinary sizes."
The discovery reshapes understanding of early arthropod life. It shows that some invertebrates grew to big sizes long before dinosaurs appeared, thriving in ecosystems with high oxygen levels.
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"Praearcturus has puzzled us palaeontologists for more than a century. By bringing together material from several collections and using cutting-edge imaging techniques, we've been able to build a clearer picture of the animal than was previously possible, which is really exciting," Dr Russell Garwood, Palaeontologist at The University of Manchester, said as per the statement.
"What makes Praearcturus so interesting is that it became enormous at a time when life on land was otherwise very small. But it was a world that could somehow support a giant predator. To try and better understand this ancient world, we compared the size of fossil scorpions with other animals alive at the time. To reach such extraordinary sizes, and conclude that perhaps it lived in water, where life was bigger."
For scientists, the fossils offer a glimpse into a Britain that looked nothing like today - one where dog-sized scorpions were part of the landscape.
