By Alka Singh
China, Oct 14: Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with researchers from Germany and England, have described a new genus and species of sea scorpion (Eurypterid). It has been found in Xiushan Formation, China. This ancient creature belongs to Mixopteridae family of sea scorpion, that lived approximately 430 million years ago in Silurian period. They named it Terropterus xiushanensis (terropterus means sharp weapon; xiushan is the place it was found).
These sea scorpions are estimated to be a meter in length. Their second and third pair of limbs are enlarged and have a unique arrangement of spines. These limbs were used in capturing their prey. The fossil represent the oldest and first mixopterid from the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. The well-preserved appendages (limbs of invertebrate) and other body parts of the fossil of the sea scorpion provided new evidences for expanding structural diversity of Mixopteridae. These large arthropods have played an important role as top predators in the shallow marine environment of South China.
