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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...

"These animals were quickly covered by fine sediment while they were still alive or just after their death," palaeontologist Pascal Godefroit of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, said.The scientist said that the effect would be very similar to what happened in Pompeii.The new species was named Changmiania liaoningensis, according to the news release.Changmian means "eternal sleep" in Chinese.Scientists deduce that the ornithopod lived during the Cretaceous period and that it was a small herbivore that could run very fast, based on the length of its tail and its leg composition. It was about 1.2 metres long.