Pulmonoscorpius
Name:
Pulmonoscorpius
(Breathing scorpion).
Phonetic: Pul-mon-oh-skor-pee-us.
Named By: Jeram - 1994.
Classification: Arthropoda, Arachnida,
Scorpiones, Centromachidae,
Species: P. kirktonensis
(type).
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: About 70 centimetres long from the head to
the tip of the telson (sting).
Known locations: Scotland, West Lothian, East
Kirkton.
Time period: Vis�an of the Carboniferous.
Fossil representation: Several specimens.
Like
the giant Meganeura,
Pulmonoscorpius is thought to have achieved its
large size from the higher oxygen content of the air of the
Carboniferous period. The superficial morphology of Pulmonoscorpius
is that of a larger version to today’s scorpions, although its
proportionally larger eyes have led to the suggestion that it may have
been a more visually orientated hunter.
It
is impossible to say how toxic the venom of Pulmonoscorpius
would have
been, but a good rule of thumb is that the smaller the pincers are in
relation to the thickness of the tail, the more potent the venom,
with the thicker tails holding larger amounts. This holds true to
today’s scorpions with those that have small pincers and fat tails
being more feared by people who have become accustomed to their
presence.
It
is also hard to say with certainty what the diet of Pulmonoscorpius
would have been, although as a scorpion it would almost certainly
have been carnivorous. It may have focused its attentions upon other
large arthropods, and maybe even the smaller amphibians and early
reptiles. One clue may be the relatively small size of the pincers,
indicating either a focus on prey smaller than itself, or a greater
reliance on its venom to take down larger prey which was then
manipulated with the pincers when dead.
Further reading
- Scorpions from the Vis�an of East Kirkton, West Lothian, Scotland,
with a revision of the infraorder Mesoscorpionina. - Transactions of
the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences 84:283-299 - Andrew J.
Jeram - 1994.
- Phylogeny, classification and evolution of Silurian and Devonian
scorpions - Andrew J. Jeram - In Paul A. Selden. Proceedings of the
17th European Colloquium of Arachnology, Edinburgh 1997. British
Arachnological Society. pp. 17–31
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