Prehistoric Lobster Was The Size Of Man

A team from Yale University, studying a fossil found in southeastern Morocco discovered that this fossil was of a creature that belonged to the family of anomalocaridids. Anomalocaridids are the ancestors of scorpions, horseshoe crabs, scorpions, spiders, lobsters, butterflies, ants, and beetles, the press release states. The University in the release also revealed that the study intrigued the paleontologists, as an analysis of the fossil showed that this prehistoric creature was about seven feet, which is almost the size of whales. Researchers named this extinct giant species, Aegirocassis benmoulae.

The fossil found dates back to almost 480 million years. Paleontologist and G. Evelyn Hutchinson Professor of Geology and Geophysics, Derek Briggs from Yale University states that this extinct species is unlike any of the older anomalocaridids. It had two branched limbs, gills on its back and filter system that helped them feed.

Researchers of the study state that the evolution of the arthropods limbs were always a mystery for scientists. Scientists thought that the anomalocaridids had limbs that were fused. It was always a question as to how the limbs branched out, lead researcher and associate research scientist at Yale, Peter Van Roy stated. The fossil showed that Aegirocassis benmoulae had two separate flaps that helped them swim. The upper flap was similar to the upper limb branch of modern arthropods and the lower flap was similar to the lower limb.

Van Roy stated that the discovery gave a very huge insight into the evolution of the arthropods. They found that the fossils that they had analysed of anomalocaridids were all flattened and so the limbs were not identifiable. “It once and for all resolves the debate on where anomalocaridids belong in the arthropod tree, and clears up one of the most problematic aspects of their anatomy,” he stated.

They also found that the Aegirocassis benmoulae could harvest plankton from the ocean. “Giant filter-feeding sharks and whales arose at the time of a major plankton radiation, and Aegirocassis represents a much, much older example of this — apparently overarching — trend,” Van Roy said.

View video of the Aegirocassis benmoulae here.

For questions/comments regarding the article, you may email the writer at samrichardson.ibtimes@gmail.com.