Tracks of extinct, giant scorpion found in Scotland

LONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Tracks made 330 million years ago by a six-legged water scorpion bigger than a human have been found in Scotland.

Martin Whyte, the geologist at the University of Sheffield in northern England who discovered the tracks, said on Wednesday they were left by a scorpion that measured 1.6 metres (5 ft 3 inches) in length and one metre across.

"To my knowledge, this is ... the largest terrestrial trackway of a walking arthropod to be found so far," he said in a report in the journal Nature.

Arthropods include insects, spiders, crabs, shrimps and lobsters. They have a body divided into distinct parts, an outside skeleton and jointed legs.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L30435352.htm

Did the prehistoric versions have only six? What about spiders?

but water scorpions are true bugs, 6 legs. Real Scorpions are arachnids - 8.

I thought water scorpions were just scorpions that like to swim.

Thanks for clueing me in.

The water scorpions these guys are talking about is an extint group of proto-arachnids similar to horseshoe crabs.

As long as there's a scientific explanation, I'm content.

Giant Water Scorpion Tracks Found
By Rossella Lorenzi, Discovery News



Pictures: Courtesy of Martin Whyte |
Drawing of the Monster Scorpion
This is a drawing of a six-legged water scorpion as big as a man walked the Earth some 330 million years ago.

More:
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20051128/scorpion_din.html


Water scorpion made Scottish track

LONDON (AP) -- A scientist in Scotland has discovered tracks made by a huge water scorpion 330 million years ago, the first of the species ever discovered and the only evidence showing it could survive outside of the water, according to the journal Nature's edition published Thursday.

More:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/11/30/scotland.scorpion.ap/


A giant step, for scorpions
Discovery of foot, tail prints sheds light on lumbering, prehistoric creepy-crawlies

<snip>

"It wasn't terrifically comfortable out of water. There are marks that suggest it was quite a jerky movement," said Dr. Whyte, who announced his discovery in today's edition of the British scientific journal Nature.

Fossils of giant scorpions are rare, but have been found before. They are known as having been aggressive predators and, like their smaller descendants, some may have had poison in their huge tails.

<snip>

For two decades, scientists believed that the biggest spiders to ever walk the Earth also lived during this period. One of only a few giant-spider fossils, which was a metre long, was discovered in Argentina but locked in a bank vault for two decades because of an ownership dispute. Earlier this year, a spider expert at the University of Manchester examined the fossil, and found it was a giant scorpion, about half the size of the one that left the tracks discovered by Dr. Whyte.

Some species of giant scorpions likely preyed on the first four-limbed creatures that were colonizing land. But Dr. Whyte believes this particular type, Hibbertopterus, was a gentle giant.

"I think the fearsomeness is exaggerated," he said.

More:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20051201/SCORPION01/TPScience/

the water scorpions I know are more like stick bugs

What next? When those glaciers melt what will be there I wonder?

found tracks of a centiped that would make the creature over 2 m.

When I was a child I used to yearn for a spaceship to travel the universe: to see exotic worlds and meet more exotic creatures.

I'm always delighted and suprised to realize that this world holds a hologram of diversity beyond my wildest dreams.

PB

dorm in Texas -- bet I could have won ALL the time with that sucker.

Cool discovery, but honestly; ewwhh!

They found her mommy! :hug: