Well, I certainly zigged when I should have zagged. :^o
Jeholia longchengi was around 4 inches (10 cm) long and was a key species within the food chain of the Cretaceous ecosystem.Image credit: NIGPAS
Posted on 03/08/2025 8:36:51 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Extremely rare fossil of an ancient scorpion unearthed at China's Jehol Biota. The scorpion would've been a key species in the Cretaceous ecosystem, scientists say.
A known treasure trove of Early Cretaceous fossils has turned up a never-before-seen species of scorpion that lived around 125 million years ago.
The venomous scorpion was larger than many ancient -- and modern -- scorpion species. Researchers believe it would’ve been a key species in the food chain, gobbling up spiders, lizards and even small mammals that lived in its ancient ecosystem.
It is just the fourth terrestrial scorpion fossil to be found in China and the first Mesozoic-era scorpion fossil found in the country, researchers reported Jan. 24 in the journal Science Bulletin.
Most scorpions from the Mesozoic era (252 million to 66 million years ago) are preserved in amber. Fossilized scorpions are much rarer because these arachnids live under rocks and branches, where they're less likely to be trapped in sediment and fossilize, said study co-author Diying Huang, a researcher at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology in China.
The scientists found the fossil in the Yixian Formation, a hotbed of Early Cretaceous fossils in northeastern China.
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
Well, I certainly zigged when I should have zagged. :^o
Jeholia longchengi was around 4 inches (10 cm) long and was a key species within the food chain of the Cretaceous ecosystem.Image credit: NIGPAS
Wow that’s old.
The knowledge of these scientists, just wow.
Always finding older and older fossils.
Only about four inches long. From the hype, I was expecting something much larger.
I was disappointed too.
A nice 3 or 4 foot long scorpion would have been great nightmare fodder.
Something that could penetrate the hide of a T-Rex and make it go crazy.
Yeah - big let down. I was hoping for something like those giant ants in ‘The Outer Limits’. Those things scared the crap out of me as a kid
[[ gobbling up spiders, lizards and even small mammals that lived in its ancient ecosystem.]]
Except that back In The day everything was much larger, so by comparison it woild have been to other animal species about the same as today, small by comparison. Even the dragon f,it’s were the size of velociraptors practically. ( it that large, but they were much larger than today)
Dragonfly I meant to say
A 4 inch scorpion is big, but not humongous, if that is a word. I expected something that might compare to the African Centipede which is known to grow as large as 13 inches!!
You would need a pallet or two of RAID bug spray to put that dog down.
“Only about four inches long”.
.
.
Modern scorpion species can exceed eight inches:
https://www.thesprucepets.com/scorpion-species-1237307
Yeah, "giant" and "scorpion" are two words I don't want to see in the same sentence.
These aren’t all that big. Saudi Arabia has them this size; saw them myself during the Gulf War.
I was expecting something kaiju-sized...
Seriously. I found black scorpions that big in my tent in Cambodia in 1992.
No dinosaurs though…
Used to get them in the kitchen and bathroom at the farm during the drought season. Felt like a hot needle on the toe.
Scientists find long lost reason why some dinosaur tracks show the had a limp.
Turns out this newly found species used to rock the Mesozoic like a hurricane.
Yeah that’s it
JUST step on them with boots & crush them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
