Sea scorpion is an extinct specieshermit crabThe earliest known member of the horseshoe crab family related to spiders and scorpions.ScorpionScientific namebyGiant feather winged horseshoe crabAppearing in the Paleozoic Devonian period about 400 million years ago, it often lurks in shallow water to look for small fish, trilobites and other animals in the sediment, sometimes even the same kind.[1]
Sea scorpions are usually sea dwellers, but they can also live in fresh water and on land.
times(period)→Ordovician460 million~445 million years ago
Feeding habits(diet) → meat
Typical body length(length) → 1~2m long
features
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Sea scorpion
The ratio between the claw length and body length of sea scorpion is relatively stable.According to this, scientists speculated that the fossil originated from a giant sea scorpion, whose body length was probably between 2.33m and 2.59m.This is the largest arthropod ever discovered.[2]
Development history
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Fossil
It has long been pointed out that the ancientArthropoda——Including the dragonfly once found with a wingspan as long as a seagull, the generation of its huge figure was related to the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere at that time.But sea scorpions are aquatic animals. "The oxygen concentration in the atmosphere may not play a significant role," he said.
scienceThe family thinks that it may be due to the lack offishandvertebrateThe competition is closely related to modern land scorpions and spidersTachypleus amebocyteWould develop into such an amazing volume.“vertebrateAt that time, they had not entered the fast lane of their evolution, so they could notArthropodaConstitute a real threat.Once they have that ability, it's time for arthropods to shrink their size. "
Berlin Museum of Natural HistoryOfJason Danlop(JASON DUNLOP) agreed with Brady that "when fishdevonian(416 million to 359 million years ago) evolved the jaw, and then the size of the sea scorpion fossils became smaller and smaller. "
Sea scorpion
For all that,Tachypleus amebocyteIt still existed from 460 million years ago to the Permian extinction 250 million years ago. In the extinction, it disappeared with 95% of aquatic life, and never appeared in the fossil record again.But if it really wants to live up to now, it will be much bigger than that.
In 2007, researchers found a scorpion claw fossil of a sea scorpion larger than human in a quarry, which indicates thatearthIn the past, these arthropod giants were everywhere.
This sea scorpion, also known as "Jack"It is believed thatLiving 390 million years ago, given that the claw is about half a meter long, the scorpion is estimated to be about 2.5 meters long, about half a meter longer than previously estimated.This huge fossil scorpion claw proves that the ancientArthropodaIncluding articulated limbs with segmented trunk, connected limbs and a hard shellspider, insects andCrabSame, much larger than previously thought.
Sea scorpions have solid protection - armor covered with body and claws.They walk on eight legs, with two flat oar like legs behind them.Once they leave the water, they will act clumsily. If they are underwater, they can swim for a distance.
Sea scorpions also eat their own kind.Giant feather winged horseshoe crab can only pass throughMoltTo grow.Just after molting, it and other companions gathered in shallow water to seek quantitative safety.During molting, it mates by taking advantage of its temporarily soft body and a large number of neighbors.
be similar toArthropodaSimilarly, sea scorpions need toShellingThey are very fragile and easy to become the target of predators. Therefore, a large number of sea scorpions will choose to shelled at the same time to seek quantitative protection.
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In September 2021, the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and other joint research teams found a new genus and species of Lamulus amebocyte in South China: Limulus xiushanense.Relevant research results have recently been published in the international academic journal Science Bulletin in the form of a cover paper.[3]
