Just seeing a scorpion might be scary enough. Imagine if the scorpion was as big as a dog and ruled the ocean.
The team of scientists found the fossilized remains of such a creature from more than 400 million years ago on the seabed of China. Dubbed Terropterus xiushanensis, this giant swimming beast is part of the family Mixopteridae, a class of large scorpion creatures with spiked tails.
"This limb may be used to catch prey. This animal is analogous to a spiked whip animal," said the authors in their scientific paper published in the journal Science Bulletin, quoted from Cnet.
"Our knowledge of this strange animal is limited to only four species in the two generations described 80 years ago," said the international research group in the study.
Relatives of the creature are found around Scotland, New York, Norway and Estonia. But this giant version of the arachnid, according to research, is the first of its kind found near southern China and is the oldest member of the fearsome Mixopteridae clan.
In ancient times, in the Early Silurian period between 443.8 million years ago and 419.2 million years ago, the area was known as Gondwana.
New fossils could improve our understanding of the diversity and range of these cruel marine inhabitants.
"Bringing large spiny legs and possibly a poisonous telson to capture and attack prey," the researchers wrote, "Terropterus may have played an important role as an apex predator in marine ecosystems during the Early Silurian period when there were no competing large vertebrates in Southern China.
While the fossils reveal various patterns of spines and spikes on the creature's tail, the researchers also suspect the very large scorpion had several different strategies for hunting for food. But eventually, when sharks and other, more modern predators come into play, these scorpions no longer rule the Chinese seas and may be out of existence.
