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Health & Science4h 12m ago
A 415-million-year-old fossil, previously believed to be a giant marine crustacean, has been reclassified as one of the largest scorpions ever discovered.
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England, London, Canada, Wales, Somerset
Who
paleontologist Richard J. Howard, British scientist Henry Woodward
What
A 415-million-year-old fossil, previously believed to be a giant marine crustacean, has been reclassified as one of the largest scorpions ever discovered.
When
Sun, 14 Jun 2026 20:52:13 GMT · 4h 12m ago
Where
England, London, Canada, Wales, Somerset ·
Why
New research by Richard J. Howard, comparing the fossil with another prehistoric species, Eramoscorpius, revealed a distinctive triangular structure shared by both, confirming the reclassification.
The Frontline Impact
How this affects you
The reclassification of Praearcturus gigas as a giant scorpion reshapes scientific understanding of scorpion evolution and suggests that giant predatory arthropods appeared much earlier than previously thought, impacting the timeline of life's expansion onto land.
Story chain
4 events in this thread- Health & Science4h 12m agoA 415-million-year-old fossil, previously thought to be a giant marine crustacean, has been reclassified as one of the largest scorpions ever discovered based on a new study.Open article
- Currently Reading4h 12m agoA 415-million-year-old fossil, previously believed to be a giant marine crustacean, has been reclassified as one of the largest scorpions ever discovered.
- Health & Science4h 12m agoA 415-million-year-old fossil, previously thought to be a giant marine crustacean, has been reclassified as one of the largest scorpions ever discovered, Praearcturus gigas.Open article
- Health & Science4h 12m agoA 415-million-year-old fossil, previously thought to be a giant marine crustacean, has been reclassified as one of the largest scorpions ever discovered.Open article