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British Study Confirms 1-Metre Devonian Scorpion as Largest Ever

6/4/2026

Summary

Praearcturus Gigas Confirmed

British scientists confirmed Praearcturus gigas as the largest known scorpion, measuring one metre long with pincers over 16 cm.
Fossils from Devonian floodplains in England and Wales (~415 million years ago) show flap-like abdomen parts, indicating an apex predator that ate fish and arthropods.
Its size, predating other giants by ~50 million years because of a lack of competition, was examined with imaging on specimens first described in 1871 for a palaeontology paper.

Summary

Praearcturus Named

The findings were announced on 3 June 2026, formally naming the species Praearcturus gigas.
Dr Richie Howard said Praearcturus could swallow many prey because few large predators existed then.
The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Paleontology, giving the discovery formal scientific visibility.
The article compares the scorpion’s one-metre body to a Labrador dog, providing a familiar size reference.

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Praearcturus Gigas Confirmed

British scientists confirmed Praearcturus gigas as the largest known scorpion, measuring one metre long with pincers over 16 cm.
Fossils from Devonian floodplains in England and Wales (~415 million years ago) show flap-like abdomen parts, indicating an apex predator that ate fish and arthropods.
Its size, predating other giants by ~50 million years because of a lack of competition, was examined with imaging on specimens first described in 1871 for a palaeontology paper.

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