Dog-sized scorpions thought to be largest in history roamed the West Midlands, scientists reveal
A colossal dog-sized scorpion prowled the West Midlands some 415 million years ago, fresh research has revealed.
Scientists at the Natural History Museum have confirmed that Praearcturus gigas is the largest scorpion species ever discovered.
The creature - roughly the size of a Labrador - wielded a pair of pincers more than 6.3 inches (16cm) long.
It dominated the floodplains of what would become England and Wales during an era before trees.
The predator's physical structure indicates it could slide seamlessly between water and land.
"When we think of giant arthropods, people often picture Carboniferous rainforests with giant millipedes or dragonfly-like insects from later in Earth's history," said Dr Richard J Howard, curator of fossil arthropods at the Natural History Museum.
"But Praearcturus lived at least 50 million years earlier, well before the evolution of trees, when life on land was only just getting started.
"Confirming that this animal is a scorpion fundamentally changes our understanding of how and when these creatures evolved to such extraordinary sizes."
Remarkably, the fossil specimens used in this identification have sat in the Museum's archives for over 150 years.
Scientists used modern techniques and examined recently-documented fossil species in order to definitively establish Praearcturus was a scorpion.
The creature lived on Earth during the Early Devonian period, when terrestrial life was in its earliest stages.
Only primitive plants and fungi had begun colonising the surface of our planet at that time.
Complex ecosystems such as forests did not yet exist.
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This timing proves significant because later giant arthropods benefited from elevated atmospheric oxygen concentrations linked to forest development.
Praearcturus achieved its remarkable dimensions without such environmental advantages.
Researchers also say the scorpion may such proportions due to minimal competition from other top predators.
The absence of other large animals allowed it to dominate its habitat in ways that would prove impossible later on.
The creature also had flap-like appendages on its abdomen similar to those seen in modern crustaceans like lobsters.
This anatomical feature positions Praearcturus at a crucial juncture when animals first ventured beyond the sea.
"The boundary between land and sea was much less defined at this time," explained Dr Greg Edgecombe, Merit Researcher at the Natural History Museum and the study's co-author.
"Praearcturus gives us a fascinating glimpse into how early animals adapted to these changing environments."
"It may even represent a lineage that returned to the water after earlier ancestors had already begun living on land."
When initially described in 1871, scientists mistakenly classified the creature as a giant crustacean akin to a woodlouse.
"Specimens collected over a century ago can still hold entirely new insights. By revisiting them with modern techniques, we can uncover discoveries that reshape our understanding of life on Earth," Dr Howard added.
Fossil evidence has emerged from Rowlestone and Longtown in Herefordshire, alongside Trimpley in Worcestershire.
Additional specimens were recovered from Tredomen Quarry near Brecon in Wales.
The researchers published their findings in the journal Palaeontology, writing: "We suggest that Praearcturus was an apex predator and may have been at least partially aquatic."
Despite its formidable appearance, previous research from NUI Galway examining 36 scorpion species demonstrated that smaller scorpions possess venom a hundred times more potent than their larger counterparts.
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