A new species of scorpion that graced the Earth millions of years ago was discovered in a museum in Italy. It was a significant find as terrestrial arthropods are among the rarest fossils in the paleontological records.
New Species of Scorpion Discovered in Italian Museum
Researchers have discovered a scorpion species that lived approximately 240 million years ago. According to a release, the finding was made after a group of paleontologists closely inspected a fossil that was stored at the Milan Museum of Natural History in Italy, Newsweek reported.
The actual fossil was discovered in Monte San Giorgio, a mountain straddling the border between Italy and Switzerland, in the Besano Formation, a geological formation in the southern Alps.
The formation is renowned for being one of the world's richest locations for Middle Triassic fossils, which date from approximately 247 to 237 million years ago.
Scorpions are eight-legged invertebrates known as arachnids, spiders, and other critters like ticks and mites. Scorpions are a member of the wider class of creatures known as arthropods, including other creatures with segmented bodies, an exoskeleton, and other distinguishing features.
According to the study's authors, the most recent discovery is notable since terrestrial arthropods are some of the rarest fossils in the paleontological record, and arachnids make up a relatively minor portion of this record.
The Mesozoic Era (about 252 to 66 million years ago) scorpion, known as Protobuthus ziliolii. This finding supports the previously proposed nearshore deposition theory for the origin of the upper Besano Formation.
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More About The New Scorpion Species Protobuthus ziliolii
Protobuthus ziliolii has been preserved well, and it is almost still complete. It measures just 4.4 centimeters (1.7 inches) in length and is complete with eyes, legs, and a stinging tail.
Researchers established that the fossil represented the scorpion's actual body, not just its exoskeleton or exuvia, with UV light and a scanning electron microscope in the museum's labs.
Exoskeletons, or hard shells, are a feature of arthropods. To continue growing, they must go through molting rounds, revealing a new exoskeleton while shedding their old one. Exuvia refers to the exoskeleton that has been abandoned. According to the experts, these typically have a greater likelihood of fossilizing than the original body.
On the Italian side of Monte San Giorgio, the fossil was taken out of the higher levels of the Besano deposit. The mountain's fossils are renowned for their diversity and high level of preservation.
The museum has not yet opened doors to the public to view the scorpion discovery.
Protobuthus ziliolii is the second species of the genus Protobuthus in the globe and is the first arachnid to be discovered in the Monte San Giorgio WHL and the Besano Formation of Italy. Only one specimen, preserved in a tiny piece of rock, is used to characterize the new species.
The study was published in the journal PalZ.
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