Scientists discover largest scorpion ever known that lived 415 million years ago

Representation pic/iStock

[popcorn number="150 years" desc=" No. of years the fossils behind the discovery sat at museum" class="Default"]

Long before forests covered the land and when animals were only beginning to venture out of the oceans, a giant scorpion the size of a small coffee table prowled ancient landscapes.

Now, researchers have confirmed that this formidable creature, Praearcturus gigas, was the largest scorpion species ever known, pushing back the timeline for giant arthropods by tens of millions of years.

Scientists determined that Praearcturus gigas, which lived about 415 million years ago in what is now England and Wales, grew to roughly a meter (3.3 feet) in length and wielded pincers more than 16 cm long.

Remarkably, the fossils behind the discovery had been sitting in the Museum's collections for more than 150 years before modern techniques revealed their true identity. The study combined advanced imaging and analysis.

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