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Arthropleura

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Face Revealed: New Scan Recasts Arthropleura as a Slow Carboniferous Detritivore
science29 days ago

Face Revealed: New Scan Recasts Arthropleura as a Slow Carboniferous Detritivore

New high-resolution scans of a 3-meter-long, ~50-kg Arthropleura fossil from France reveal a circular head with antennae and eyes, showing a mix of millipede- and centipede-like features. This overturns the image of a giant predator and suggests a slow detritivorous lifestyle, placing Arthropleura as a stem-group relative to millipedes within the Carboniferous myriapod lineage, and dating it to about 345–290 million years ago in Europe and North America.

Ancient 326-Million-Year-Old Millipede Fossil Discovered
science3 months ago

Ancient 326-Million-Year-Old Millipede Fossil Discovered

A 326-million-year-old fossil of Arthropleura, a giant millipede, was discovered in England, revealing it to be the largest land invertebrate in Earth's history, measuring nearly nine feet long. The find challenges previous assumptions about prehistoric gigantism being driven solely by oxygen levels and highlights the diverse ecosystems of the Carboniferous period. The fossil provides new insights into ancient invertebrate life and their environments.