Scientists discover the world's largest scorpion, the size of a dog

2026-06-10 07:42:00, Kuriozitete CNA

A team of scientists in the United Kingdom has confirmed the identity of what is considered the largest scorpion ever known in Earth's history. It is the ancient species Praearcturus gigas, a giant predator that lived about 415 million years ago and reached over a meter in length.

The creature's fossils were first discovered in 1870 in Britain, but for more than a century scientists were unsure whether they were actually scorpions. Now, thanks to the use of modern technologies such as computed tomography scanning and advanced fossil analysis, researchers have managed to settle the debate.

According to paleontologists, Praearcturus gigas lived at a time when life on Earth was just beginning to develop. At that time, mammals, reptiles, or birds did not yet exist, and the landscape was dominated by small plants and primitive organisms.

"This scorpion lived at a time when there were no large terrestrial predators, which may have enabled it to reach such large sizes and dominate its environment," explained paleontologist Richie Howard from the Natural History Museum in the United Kingdom.

The study found that the scorpion's pincers alone reached about 16 centimeters in length, longer than the entire body of many scorpions. The scientists also identified special structures on its limbs, which could be used to produce sound through a process known as stridulation.

Although considered one of the most fearsome predators of its time, researchers believe it also spent part of its life in the water. Fossils show the presence of anatomical structures similar to those found in lobsters and crabs, suggesting that the giant scorpion may have hunted both on land and in aquatic environments.

Experts believe the species may have survived for about 40 million years before going extinct. The new discovery provides important clues about the early evolution of life on land and how the first arthropods adapted to both terrestrial and aquatic environments.

Scientists emphasize that studying Praearcturus gigas can help better understand the evolutionary history of scorpions and other creatures close to spiders living today./ CNA