That was the first giant predator on Earth – BBC

Image copyright AP

Image caption The Pentecopterus decorahensis measured 1.70 meters long.

The first great predator of the planet was a giant sea scorpion that dominated the seas for nearly half a million years.

As is clear from the fossil remains found in the bed of the upper section of the Iowa River in the United States, this curious creature measured 1.70 meters, had a dozen claws coming out of his head and a tail allowing him to propel underwater.

-more than 150- fragments were found on the river, in the crater left by a meteorite that was once covered by the sea.

The finding was published in the journal BMC Evolutionary Biology.

According to the study authors, this sea monster belongs to a species to which they called Pentecopterus decorahensis , named after an ancient Greek war ship whose shape and behavior are similar to those of the animal.

Animal” only “

The Pentecopterus inhabited our planet 467 million years ago.

The oldest known species of eurypterid , some extinct predators that although the crabs or the locusts were like, are related to modern spiders.

Unlike scorpions ground, this animal was not using its tail as a stinger but served him for swimming and balance.

Image copyright Getty

Image caption Unlike scorpions land, this sea monster was not using its tail as a stinger but to swim.

“This new species is incredibly strange. The shape of your leg -the palette used for swim- is unique as it is the shape of your head,” he said . James Lamsdell, a researcher at Yale University, US, and lead author of the study

“It is also very large: more than a meter and a half long,” added the researcher <. /> p>

And if it is true that other sea scorpions were larger at the same time , those fed on what they found in the sea and were not the dominant predators, Lamsdell said.

aggressive Bug

The fossilized remains of the animal are not bones, as Pentecopterus are not vertebrates.

What was found were remains of exoskeletons in an excellent condition.

Image copyright JAMES LAMSDELL

Image caption The researchers found more than 150 remains of exoskeletons.

The analysis of these remains enabled researchers to recreate the shape and movement of the animal.

“We could see how the legs are articulated one with each other and how they have moved “Lamsdell said. “Many hairs insertion points are also seen.”

The shape of his arms coming out from head also reveals how this creature grabbed his prey and pushed into his mouth.

“It was obviously a very aggressive animal,” he concludes the researcher. “It was a big angry bug”.