Two newly discovered fossils are helping scientists understand the anatomy of the largest arthropod in history. Millipedes grew longer than king-sized beds and lived between 346 and 290 million years ago.
Arthropleura was discovered in 1854, but until now no one had found a fossil containing its head. “It’s been more than 100 years since we tried to find the head, and now we finally have it,” said Michael, a paleontologist at Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 in France. Leritier says.
Micro-CT scans of fossils excavated from what is now France have revealed never-before-seen details about the giant millipede’s anatomy. antennae, eyes, mandibles, and other feeding appendagesLhéritier et al. reported on October 9. scientific progress.
Until now, scientists had assumed that: Arthropleura It would have had a head more similar to its modern millipede relatives (SN: December 21, 2021). But the fossils reveal a more intermediate state in the lineage’s evolution, L’Eritier says.
“Arthropleura For example, it has the body of a millipede and each has two pairs of legs. [body] It’s not just the parts, it’s the head of a centipede,” he said, noting that the mouthparts are particularly centipede-like. Still, the location of anatomical observations and phylogenetic data Arthropleura L’Eritier’s team is competing head-to-head in Millipede’s camp.
Although specimens provide a wealth of information about Arthropleurathere is still much to learn about this powerful millipede, including what it ate, whether it walked on land and water, or whether it was capable of both. For example, new fossils also reveal: Arthropleura L’Heritier said it had stalk-like eyes, more like a crab, but that alone suggests the creature may have had a lifestyle connected to water. .
Finally, scientists still don’t know whether the sexes grew to giant sizes or how long it took for the young to grow to their gigantic size. Arthropleura World record holder.
You never know what the next new discovery will reveal.
