VIDEO: Car-sized millipede fossil that lived 326 million years ago revealed in England

The fossilized remains of the creature, called Arthropleura, date back to the Carboniferous period about 326, 000, 000 of years. That’s more than 100, , 000 years before the rise of the dinosaurs.

When was alive, the creature was estimated to be 55 centimeters (22 inches) wide and up to 2. 63 meters (8.6 feet) long, weighing 50 kilograms (110 pounds). That would make it the largest known invertebrate of all time, larger than the ancient sea scorpions that previously held this title, according to the statement. Invertebrates are animals without backbones.

It is only the third fossil of Arthropleura discovered. The other two were found in Germany and were much smaller than the new specimen.

To reach such size, they must have eaten a nutritious diet. At the time, Britain was on the equator, and invertebrates and early amphibians probably lived on vegetation growing in a series of streams and rivers.

The researchers believe that the fossilized skeleton was likely a molted segment of exoskeleton that filled with sand, preserving it.

“Find these giant millipede fossils is rare, because once they die, their bodies tend to disarticulate (separate at the joints), so the fossil is likely a molted shell that the animal shed as it grew, “said Davies. in the statement. .

“We have not found a fossilized head yet, so it is difficult to know everything about them,” he added.