Praearcturus (lit. 'before Arcturus') is an extinct genus of large scorpion known from the Devonian period of what is now Britain. The genus contains a single species, Praearcturus gigas, the sole member of …

Jun 3, 2026 · New research examining a range of fossils has now confirmed its status as one of the largest prehistoric scorpions. With 16-centimetre-long pincers and an estimated body length of over a …

Jun 2, 2026 · Here we present a re-description and taxonomic revision of Praearcturus gigas and present considerable evidence that it is a scorpion. All earlier descriptions of this taxon were based …

Jun 9, 2026 · After an extensive new fossil study, researchers in the UK have confirmed the identity of Praearcturus gigas, which may be the largest known scorpion in history.

Jun 3, 2026 · Measuring around a metre in length and armed with pincers over 16 centimetres long, Praearcturus gigas would have been a formidable predator stalking floodplains around 415 million …

Measuring around a metre in length and armed with pincers over 16 centimetres long, Praearcturus gigas would have been a formidable predator stalking floodplains around 415 million years ago.

Jun 3, 2026 · The pincers of Praearcturus were 16 centimetres long! This means that hundreds of millions of years ago, parts of England and Wales were home to the biggest scorpion in the world.

Named in a new study as Praearcturus gigas, this extinct behemoth was first described as a giant crustacean similar to a woodlouse back in 1871.

Jun 5, 2026 · Now they’ve been re-examined and identified as an ancient scorpion that was larger than a cat. Measuring roughly a metre in length and armed with pincers larger than table knives, …

Jun 4, 2026 · Paleontologists have confirmed that Praearcturus gigas, a creature that prowled shallow waters during the Devonian period, 415 million years ago, is the largest scorpion ever found.