A scientist from Scotland has discovered the remains of a water scorpion that lived 330 million years ago, measuring nearly the size of a human. This is the first known specimen of this family found, and the only evidence suggests it could survive on land.
Martin Whyte, from the University of Sheffield, discovered the fossil of the hibbertopteroid—a type of scorpion—in Scotland’s Midland Valley.
“There has been much debate about hibbertopteroids, their feeding mechanisms, the strength of their limbs, and whether these creatures could leave the water. This is evidence that shows the creature could live outside of an aquatic environment,” said Whyte.
The analysis of the fossil indicates that the water scorpion had six legs, was 1.5 meters long, and 1 meter wide. The length of its stride suggests that it crawled very slowly. Signs of the creature dragging its body indicate it was making its way out of the water.
“The groove in the middle suggests that the creature’s tail was neither lifted nor supported by the water surface, and the stripes on either side indicate it moved very heavily and clumsily. This proves that the creature was not very skilled at swimming out of the water.”
