Earliest 'Prehistoric Scorpion' Discovered, May Not Have Been Terrestrial
A new study describes a new species of prehistoric scorpion from the early Cambrian period (approximately 4.375 to 4.365 billion years ago).
Modern scorpion concept map
The study shows that *Parioscorpio venator* (P. venator) is the earliest scorpion known to date, and they may have been able to leave their marine habitats and crawl onto land.
American Andrew Wendruff et al. at the University of Ohio at Otsego described a previously unknown scorpion species specimen, two well-preserved specimens were found in the Waukesha Biota, Wisconsin, traceable to the early Cambrian period.
This means they are older than the previously considered oldest scorpion species – *Dolichophonus loudonensis*.
P. venator exhibits some primitive features of other early marine animals, such as compound eyes; it also exhibits some features of modern scorpions, such as a stinger.
The two P. venator specimens are detailed with their internal body structure, including a narrow, funnel-shaped structure that extends along most of the middle of the body. The authors believe that these structures are very similar to the circulatory and respiratory systems in present-day scorpions and arachnids.
P. venator fossils do not have lungs or gills, but their similarity to horseshoe crabs (which can breathe on land) means that this oldest scorpion may not have been fully terrestrial, but they likely spent a considerable amount of time on land ().
Paper and image source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-56010-z
