The largest fossilized millipede of all time has been found

the unexpected Finding It took place on a beach 60 kilometers from Newcastle, England, for him Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge.

According to specialists, it is The largest and oldest invertebrates that ever existed It is the third fossil of its kind ever found.

The creature is called Arthropods, belongs to a species of millipede from the Carboniferous period that inhabited the Earth more than 326 million years ago and was 2.7 meters long and weighed about 50 kilograms.

After discovering the doctor Neil Davies, was located as The largest known invertebrates of all time, Snatch the previous record from sea scorpions that became extinct at the end of the Permian period, about 250 million years ago.

“His discovery was completely unexpected“The rock fell and cracked and completely exposed the fossil that a former Ph.D. student just happened to see as he passed,” Davis said.

The animal consists of Multiple connected segments about 75 cm long are very similar in shape to modern millipedes. “It was an incredibly exciting find, but it was so big that it took four of us to carry it off the cliff,” the researcher added.

“It is rare to find fossil remains of giant millipedes, because once they die their bodies tend to collapse.The researcher explained that it is likely that the fossil was a liquid shell that the animal shed during its growth, adding: “We have not yet found a fossilized head, so it is difficult to know everything about it.”

Source: National Geographic Spain