Fossils show big bug ruled the seas 460 million years ago

[yuiyoshida]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Earth's first big predatory monster was a weird water bug as big as Tom Cruise, newly found fossils show.

Almost half a billion years ago, way before the dinosaurs roamed, Earth's dominant large predator was a sea scorpion that grew to 5 feet 7 inches (170 centimeters), with a dozen claw arms sprouting from its head and a spike tail, according to a new study.

Scientists found signs of these new monsters of the prehistoric deep in Iowa, of all places.

Geologists at the Iowa Geological Survey found 150 pieces of fossils about 60 feet (18 meters) under the Upper Iowa River, part of which had to be temporarily dammed to allow them to collect the specimens. Then scientists at Yale University determined they were a new species from about 460 million years ago, when Iowa was under an ocean

Then, all the action was in the sea and it was pretty small scale, said James Lamsdell of Yale, lead author of the study published Monday in the journal BMC Evolutionary Biology.

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150901p2g00m0dm056000c.html

[tymorial]

1. Ugly suckers.

[byronius]

4. Yes, we are, to it.

'Horrible tall standing-up creatures! OMG! they freak me out!'

I prefer the lovely six-foot 200 lb carnivorous millipedes of the Carboniferous. They could outrun our little ancestors quite handily. Ever wonder why millipedes make you shiver? 20mph. And they could spit acid.

[cstanleytech]

6. Arthropleura?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthropleura

Contrary to earlier and popular beliefs, Arthropleura was not a predator but a herbivorous arthropod. Because none of the known fossils have the mouth preserved, scientists suppose that Arthropleura did not have strongly sclerotized and powerful mouth parts, because such would have been preserved at least in some of the fossils. Some fossils have been found with lycopod fragments and pteridophyte spores in the gut and in associated coprolites.

[byronius]

7. Yes, you're right, I'm conflating it with the modern Scolopendra.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scolopendra_gigantea

And throwing in a great episode of Primeval.

Just can't get away with anything on this board, can I?

[Scootaloo]

2. "As big as Tom Cruise"

is that 1980's Tom Cruise, or 2010's Tom Cruise?

[eppur_se_muova]

3. A eurypterid, to be more precise.

Not the earliest known, but apparently the earliest known predatory eurypterid.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Despite the quote in that article, they are claiming it's the earliest known eurypterid, by 9m yrs

Full paper: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2148/15/169

"Pentecopterus decorahensis is the oldest described eurypterid, predating Brachyopterus stubblefieldi from the Sandbian of Avalonia [7] by some 9 million years."



Previous knowledge was:

Included species:
Brachyopterus stubblefieldi

Age: Ordovician (Lower Caradoc); 460 mya.

Geographic Distribution: West England.

Maximum Size: 8 cm

Extra information: Brachyopterus is the oldest known eurypterid, known from marine strata of early Late Ordovician age. Like many stylonurines it was probably a scavenger.

http://www.eurypterids.co.uk/Brachyopterus.htm

[yuiyoshida]

9. Are they related to the Lobster?

Are they good steamed? A little butter and lemon on the side? if not, I WILL take a
dungeness crab, than! I wonder if it would be great with rice and or inside a pot sticker! The thing
Chinese love to do with food! I am sure it would be some where on the menu!

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. Not very close - horseshoe crabs are their closest living relatives

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merostomata




Next nearest relatives are spiders, sea spiders and the true scorpions:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelicerata

The BBC had some fun with this:

[yuiyoshida]

11. oh that was fun, i would love

to see the entire series...

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. Here:

Episode 1 (poor quality):

Episode 2:

Episode 3:

[yuiyoshida]

13. Thank you so very much for taking

the time to link those! I wanta watch them!! doumo arigatou gozaimashita!

[Judi Lynn]

8. Oh, help! Glad we missed it. n/t