Discovered 437 million years old scorpion fossils

The scorpion is possibly the oldest creature to move from the sea to the ground that scientists have discovered.

437 million years old scorpion fossils in Wisconsin.(Photo: Global News).

Two fossils of the ancient scorpion Parioscorpio venator were dug up from a quarry in Wisconsin, USA, in the 1980s, then preserved at a museum at the University of Wisconsin. Andrew Wendruff, a paleontologist at Otterbein University, reviewed the samples and was surprised to find that they still retain some parts of the digestive, respiratory and circulatory systems, CNN on January 16. believe.

"Some of the prehistoric scorpions' structures are preserved. They resemble modern scorpions in that they probably breathe air," Wendruff said. Although there is no clear evidence that the Parioscorpio venator lives on land, he thinks they have the ability to breathe on the ground and must have landed.

Fossils do not retain lungs or gills. However, the resemblance to sam, the terrestrial breathing creature, shows that even though these ancient scorpions did not live completely on land, they were able to leave the water for long periods.

All the older animal fossils discovered by scientists belong to creatures that live and breathe underwater. An ancient scroll was once thought to be the first creature to move ashore. However, it appeared 16-17 million years later than the Parioscorpio venator scorpion.

"At that time, there were almost only plants on the ground. It took a long time for the fish to begin to land and the dinosaurs appeared , " Wendruff explained.

Parioscorpio venator is about 2cm long. With the characteristic sting in the tail, they are very similar to scorpions today. However, Wendruff said there was no way to determine if they were using venom.

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