Carboniferous Period Was a Pure Nightmare HORROR

Summary

The Carboniferous period, spanning around 359 to 299 million years ago, was a time of immense biodiversity and environmental changes. Lush swampy rainforests thrived, providing an ideal habitat for various creatures. Giant insects like the eagle-sized Meganeura and massive arthropods such as Arthropleura roamed the land. The seas were ruled by unique sharks and fish like the scissor-toothed Edestus and cannibalistic Orthacanthus. Amphibians and other species evolved distinct traits, contributing to this era's reputation as the 'Golden Age of Sharks.' The period ended as atmospheric changes led to the extinction of many species.

Takeaways

• 🕰️ The Carboniferous period lasted from approximately 358.9 to 298.9 million years ago.
• 🌿 The term 'Carboniferous' comes from the coal-rich layers found in these rock formations.
• 🐝 The Carboniferous period saw some of the earliest and largest insects, such as the flightless arthropods that could grow larger than humans.
• 🌳 This era was characterized by hot and humid climates with vast swampy rainforests, providing an ideal environment for early animal evolution.
• 🦈 The 'Golden Age of Sharks' occurred during the Carboniferous period, with shark-like fish becoming the dominant aquatic carnivores.
• 🦟 Meganeura, the largest dragonfly ever, had a wingspan comparable to that of an eagle and was a dominant predator in the skies.
• 🦂 Arthropluera, a massive millipede-like creature, was the largest known terrestrial arthropod and land invertebrate, reaching up to 3 meters in length.
• 🦈 Orthacanthus, a formidable 3-meter long freshwater fish, was likely the apex predator in its habitat during the late Carboniferous period.
• 🕷️ Megarachne, a giant spider with a body size comparable to a human head, was an apex predator and one of the fastest and most agile spiders.
• 🦑 Tullimonstrum, a soft-bodied creature with a unique appearance, had a long proboscis for feeding on both living organisms and decaying matter.
• 🦈 Aestocetus, a massive shark-like fish, had a unique jaw structure that operated like scissors, allowing it to slice through its prey.

Q & A

What is the time span of the Carboniferous period?

The Carboniferous period spanned from roughly 358.9 to about 298.9 million years ago.

How is the term 'Carboniferous' derived?

The term 'Carboniferous' is derived from the coal-rich layers found in the upper segments of the rock formations from this era.

What was the climate like during the Carboniferous period?

The Carboniferous period was characterized by a hot and humid climate with vast swampy rainforests dominating the landscape.

What group of animals dominated the landscape during the Carboniferous period?

Insects dominated the landscape during the Carboniferous period, with some reaching impressive sizes.

What was the size of the Meganeura, the giant dragonfly from the Carboniferous era?

Meganeura, the giant dragonfly, had a wingspan comparable to that of an eagle and could reach nearly a meter in length.

What was the diet of the giant dragonfly, Meganeura?

Meganeura was a swift aerial predator that fed on other insects and possibly small vertebrates like lizards or amphibians.

How large was Arthroplura, the giant millipede-like arthropod?

Arthroplura could reach lengths of up to 3 meters, making it the largest known terrestrial arthropod and the largest land invertebrate ever.

What was the diet of Arthroplura during the Carboniferous period?

Despite its intimidating size, Arthroplura was a herbivore, consuming vegetation in the lush oxygen-rich forests of its time.

What unique feature did the prehistoric shark Stegacanthus have?

Stegacanthus had a bizarre ironing board-like protrusion on the backs of the males, which may have functioned as a docking mechanism for mating.

What was the size and diet of Orthacanthus, the freshwater fish?

Orthacanthus was a formidable 3-meter long freshwater fish that likely served as the apex predator in its habitat, possibly resorting to cannibalism during tough times.

What was the size and behavior of Megarachnella, the giant spider?

Megarachne was an impressively large spider with a body size comparable to a human head. It was a solitary ambush predator that lived in underground burrows.

What is the classification status of Tullimonstrum, the soft-bodied creature from the Carboniferous?

The classification of Tullimonstrum remains a mystery, with scientists debating whether it was a mollusk, a vertebrate, or an unclassified worm.

What was the size and diet of Pulmonoscorpius, the giant scorpion-like creature?

Pulmonoscorpius was a massive scorpion-like creature that could reach over 2 feet in length. It was carnivorous, preying on smaller arthropods, amphibians, and early reptiles.

What was the wingspan and diet of the enormous flying insect Mesothorus?

Mesothorus had an estimated wingspan of nearly 2 feet. It is thought to have been an herbivore, feeding on plant juices.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 The Carboniferous Period and Its Unique Fauna

The Carboniferous period, which lasted from approximately 38.9 to 298.9 billion years ago, was notable for its coal-rich rock layers, hot and humid climate, and vast swampy rainforests. This era predates the dinosaurs, where insects and flightless arthropods grew to impressive sizes, with some reaching larger than modern humans. Amphibians began evolving into distinct species, competing with other creatures in this lush, oxygen-rich environment. The period was also known as the 'Golden Age of Sharks,' where shark-like fish diversified and dominated aquatic ecosystems.

05:01

🦗 Meganeura: The Giant Dragonfly

Meganeura, meaning 'large-nerved,' was a giant dragonfly that dominated the skies during the Carboniferous period. It soared over what is now North America and Europe, with a wingspan comparable to an eagle. Meganeura was the largest dragonfly ever discovered, measuring nearly a meter in length. As an apex aerial predator, it used its strong mandibles to capture and tear apart prey, including insects and possibly small vertebrates. However, as oxygen levels declined toward the end of the Carboniferous, Meganeura eventually went extinct.

10:02

🐛 Arthropleura: The Massive Millipede

Arthropleura was an enormous millipede-like arthropod that roamed the forest floors during the late Carboniferous period. Reaching up to 3 meters in length, it holds the title as the largest land invertebrate ever. Despite its intimidating size, it was a herbivore, consuming decaying vegetation and foliage. While generally peaceful, its powerful jaws could deliver a strong bite when provoked. This arthropod adapted well to the oxygen-rich forests of North America and Scotland but was highly vulnerable to forest fires of the era.

15:03

🦈 Stethacanthus: The Ironing Board Shark

Stethacanthus was a small prehistoric shark that lived during the late Devonian and early Carboniferous periods. Males had a unique 'ironing board' structure on their backs, which likely played a role in mating behavior. Though only about 3 feet long, this predator hunted small fish and other sharks. Its teeth and fins suggest it was primarily a bottom feeder, though it occasionally pursued slower fish. The exact function of the spine-brush complex took many years of research to understand.

20:03

🦈 Orthacanthus: The Cannibalistic Freshwater Predator

Orthacanthus was a formidable freshwater predator during the late Carboniferous, reaching up to 10 feet in length. It belonged to an ancient group of cartilaginous fish, similar to sharks, and was an apex predator in its environment. Studies of fossilized droppings (coprolites) reveal evidence of filial cannibalism, where adults preyed on juvenile members of their own species during times of food scarcity. This behavior, coupled with Orthacanthus's ability to migrate between freshwater and saltwater, made it a dominant and versatile predator.

🕷️ Megarachne: The Giant Prehistoric Spider

Megarachne, also known as the 'giant spider,' was the largest arachnid species from the late Carboniferous period. It had a body the size of a human head and a leg span larger than the modern Goliath bird-eating spider. As a solitary ambush predator, Megarachne hunted from underground burrows, using silk trip lines to detect prey. Despite its relatively small size compared to other Carboniferous predators, it was highly agile and fast, making it an effective and formidable predator in its swampy habitat.

🐟 Tullimonstrum: The Mysterious Tully Monster

Tullimonstrum, or the 'Tully monster,' was a soft-bodied creature that lived around 307 million years ago in shallow tropical waters. Its unique anatomy, featuring stalked eyes, a long proboscis with sharp teeth, and ventral fins, has puzzled scientists for decades. Debate continues over whether Tullimonstrum was a vertebrate or invertebrate, though some fossil evidence points to the presence of a primitive backbone. Its fossils, primarily found in the Mazon Creek Beds of Illinois, offer a glimpse into the enigmatic life of this ancient creature.

🦈 Edestus: The Scissor-Toothed Shark

Edestus, often called the 'scissor-tooth shark,' was a massive predator that lived between 313 and 307 million years ago. With a body length of up to 22 feet, it had unique jaws that resembled a pair of scissors, allowing it to slice through prey with precision. The species had large, serrated teeth that grew in a curved fashion, making its feeding mechanism highly efficient for hunting smaller fish and soft-bodied creatures. Although no complete body fossils have been found, researchers believe Edestus had a shape similar to a modern great white shark.

🦂 Pulmonoscorpius: The Giant Scorpion

Pulmonoscorpius was a massive scorpion-like creature that lived in the Carboniferous swamps. With a length of up to 71 centimeters (over 2 feet), it was among the largest arachnids of its time. It had four distinct eyes and used its claws and venomous tail to hunt prey such as smaller arthropods and amphibians. Though it thrived in its swampy habitat, Pulmonoscorpius faced challenges from rising water levels and habitat destruction, forcing it to continually seek new shelters and avoid larger predators.

🦟 Mesothyrus: The Giant Flying Insect

Mesothyrus was a large flying insect with a wingspan of around 56 centimeters (nearly 2 feet), living about 309 million years ago. Though not as large as Meganeura, Mesothyrus is believed to have resembled modern dragonflies. It likely fed on plant juices using its beak-like mouthparts and specialized organ for piercing and extracting fluids. With its small winglets and exceptional aerial mobility, Mesothyrus was well adapted to life in the Carboniferous skies, providing it a significant advantage over other flying species of the time.

Keywords

💡Carboniferous Period

The Carboniferous Period was a geological time period that spanned from approximately 358 to 298 million years ago. It is a significant era in Earth's history, known for the formation of vast coal deposits and the evolution of diverse flora and fauna. The video script discusses this period as a time when certain animals and insects reached impressive sizes, and it was characterized by a hot and humid climate with vast swampy rainforests.

💡Mega Neuroptera

Mega Neuroptera, also known as giant dragonflies, were massive insects that lived during the Carboniferous Period. They are exemplified in the script by Meura, which had a wingspan comparable to that of an eagle. These insects were swift aerial predators, and their size and dominance in the skies of the Carboniferous Period make them a fascinating aspect of the era's biodiversity.

💡Arachnids

Arachnids are a class of jointed-legged invertebrates that includes spiders, scorpions, and mites. The script mentions Megarachnae, a giant spider from the Carboniferous Period, which was one of the apex predators of its time. This highlights the diversity of arthropods that thrived during this period and their significant role in the food chain.

💡Amphibians

Amphibians are a class of animals that live both in water and on land. The script describes how amphibians thrived during the Carboniferous Period, sharing the waters with formidable fish. They were forming distinct groups and were part of the rich ecosystem that characterized this era.

💡Cartilaginous Fish

Cartilaginous fish are a group of fish characterized by having a skeleton made of cartilage rather than bone. The script refers to Orthacanthus, a genus of cartilaginous fish that lived during the late Carboniferous to the early Permian period. These fish were significant predators in their environments, and the script even mentions evidence of cannibalism among them.

💡Extinction

Extinction is the disappearance of a species or group of species. The script discusses the extinction of armored super predators like Dunkleosteus, which allowed for the rise of shark-like fish. This concept is crucial to understanding the shifts in ecosystems and the evolution of new species during the Carboniferous Period.

💡Oxygen Levels

Oxygen levels in the atmosphere have a significant impact on the size and types of organisms that can thrive. The script notes that high oxygen levels during the Carboniferous Period allowed for the growth of insects and arthropods to reach enormous sizes, such as the giant dragonfly Meura and the massive millipede-like arthropod Aoropluera.

💡Fossils

Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals, plants, and other organisms from the past. The script mentions several fossils, including those of Aoropluera and Megarachne, which provide evidence of the existence and characteristics of these ancient creatures. Fossils are essential for understanding the history of life on Earth.

💡Adaptation

Adaptation refers to the process by which organisms become better suited to their environment. The script discusses how certain creatures, like Aoropluera, adapted to a plant-based diet, which was a significant shift in the food chain during the Carboniferous Period. This adaptation allowed these creatures to exploit new food sources and thrive in their environment.

💡Cannibalism

Cannibalism is when an individual of a species consumes another individual of the same species. The script provides an example of this with Orthacanthus, a prehistoric shark that resorted to cannibalism when other food sources were scarce. This behavior is an interesting aspect of the survival strategies of ancient creatures.

💡Pulmonoscorpius

Pulmonoscorpius is a genus of giant scorpion-like creatures that lived during the Carboniferous Period. The script describes them as having a body structure similar to modern-day scorpions but much larger, with some reaching over 2 feet in length. They were likely carnivorous and used their front claws and tail to capture and consume prey, illustrating the diversity of predatory life forms during this era.

Highlights

The Carboniferous period lasted from approximately 38.9 to 299 million years ago.

The term 'Carboniferous' comes from the coal-rich layers found in these rock formations.

Insects and early animals during the Carboniferous period reached impressive sizes.

Flightless arthropods of this time could grow larger than the average human.

The Carboniferous period is known for its hot and humid climate with vast swampy rainforests.

This era was dubbed the 'Golden Age of sharks' with the rise of shark-like fish.

Amphibians thrived during this period, sharing waters with formidable fish.

Megarachne, a giant dragonfly, was a massive insect from the Carboniferous era.

Atop plura, a massive millipede-like arthropod, reached lengths of up to 3 meters.

Stethacanthus, a small but formidable prehistoric shark, thrived during the late Devonian and early Carboniferous periods.

Orthacanthus, a formidable 10-foot freshwater fish, lived from the late Carboniferous to the early Permian period.

Mear rachne, the 'Black Widow of the prehistoric world', was the largest spider species ever discovered.

Tully monster, a soft-bodied creature from the clay bataria, existed about 307 million years ago.

Aestus, a massive shark-like fish, roamed the waters between 313 and 307 million years ago.

Pulmonoscorpius, a scorpion-like creature, lived around 336 to 326 million years ago.

Mesothorus enormous, a gigantic flying insect, lived about 309 million years ago.

Transcripts

the Carboniferous period span from

roughly

38.9 to about

2989 billion years ago during this era

the rocks formed to make up what we know

as the Carboniferous system the term

Carboniferous is derived from the coal

Rich layers found in the upper segments

of these rock formations worldwide long

before the first dinosaurs and terrosaur

roamed the earth a distinct group of

animals dominated the landscape insects

during the Carboniferous period some of

the earliest animals and insects reached

impressive sizes comparable to

modern-day Hawks notably flightless

arthropods of this time could grow

larger than the average human the

Carboniferous period known for its hot

and humid climate was a time when vast

swampy rainforests dominated the

landscape this environment was ideal for

early animals to flourish and evolve

diverse species emerged competing with

amphibians that were forming distinct

groups dubbed the Golden Age of sharks

this era saw the rise of shark-like fish

after the extinction of armored super

Predators like dun osus these fish

Diversified becoming the dominant

aquatic carnivores and taking on various

forms amphibians also thrived during

this period sharing the waters with

these formidable fish notably it wasn't

just amphibians and fish that developed

unique traits some soft-bodied creatures

evolved in unusual ways too additionally

a few species of lob finned fish and sea

scorpions exhibited quirky

characteristics the animal kingdom of

the Carboniferous period featured

amphibians with massive boomerang-shaped

heads and fish resembling winged dragons

let's delve into some of the fascinating

Beasts of the Carboniferous

period

meura meura meaning large nerved also

known as the giant dragonfly was a

massive insect from the Carboniferous

era Soaring Over what is now North

America and Europe comparable in size to

an eagle meura holds the title of the

largest dragonfly ever often referred to

as the rulers of the Carboniferous

Skies Charles brard first discovered

this giant in 1880 in France during its

Reign megura shared its habitat with

reptiles giant amphibians and other

enormous insects however as the

Carboniferous period ended an oxygen

levels dropped these Sky rulers

eventually vanished Mega nura similar in

build to Modern dragonflies but much

larger stretched nearly a meter long

making it the size of an eagle with a

length of about 75 cm or 2.5 ft and

weighing 150 g it was among the largest

insects ever and the biggest dragonfly

of all time ruling the Skies of the

Carboniferous era meura was usually

Unstoppable as a swift aerial Predator

meanor used its powerful arm and

mandibles to tear apart prey usually

other insects and possibly small

vertebrates like lizards or amphibians

this agile Hunter could make sharp

midair turns and skillfully Dodge

streams of water when males fought they

could halt instantly and pivot on a dime

these giant dragon flies gathered around

fragmented Lakes to breed laying their

La in the water males VI for mating

rights with females but had to get very

close to discern each other's sex like

their modern counterparts meura could

achieve speeds that would be dizzying to

a human arop plura arop plura meaning

jointed ribs was a massive milipede like

arthropod from the late Carboniferous

era rooming the lands of what is now

North America and Europe This distant

relative of today's millipedes and

centipedes reached lengths of up to 3 m

making it the largest known terrestrial

arthropod and the largest land

invertebrate ever its enormous size was

possible due to the high oxygen levels

in the Carboniferous atmosphere despite

its intimidating size arthop plura was a

herbivore one of the earliest primarily

Plante eating land animals while it had

strong Jaws it's unlikely that it relied

on poison for defense this giant

peacefully consumed vegetation

navigating the Lush oxygen Rich forests

of its time arthr plura roamed in North

America and Scotland during the late

Carboniferous around 315 to 299 million

years ago it shared its habitat with

creatures like megarachne meura

primitive reptiles and giant predatory

amphibians since its Discovery in 1854

numerous fossilized Footprints of arthra

plura have been found along the coast of

Scotland particularly in the Scottish

land of Aon ARR plura possibly the

largest arthropod of the Carboniferous

period measured between 2 to 3 m 6.6 to

10 ft on average making it as large as a

man or a crocodile and as long as a car

some rare colossal specimens were even

found to be around 6 M or 20 ft in

length as the largest known land

arthropod arop plura was a massive

relative of today's millipedes closely

resembling a giant centipede or milipede

arthop plura roamed the forest floors of

the Carboniferous era despite its

formidable appearance this massive

arthropod was a herbivore feeding on

decaying foliage dead wood and leaves in

the steamy swamp forests though known

for its vegetarian diet its powerful

jaws could still deliver a nasty bite as

juveniles ARR plura consumed meat and

was unable to digest plants until they

matured was among the first animals to

adapt to a plant-based diet despite

their strong Jaws it's unlikely they

used poison for defense practically

blind aropur relied on its Keen sense of

smell and touch to navigate and detect

other animals although generally timid

it could become highly aggressive and

easily provoked into attacking most

aropur found refuge in piles of leaves

or foliage or small underground dens

while some ventured out in the open with

body armor that Blended seamlessly with

its surroundings Arthur plura was well

camouflaged however this armor offered

no protection against the rampant forest

fires of the Carboniferous despite their

attempts to seek cover by crouching on

the ground many were tragically consumed

by the

Flames stea

canthus Ste canthus a small but

formidable prehistoric shark thrived

during the late Den Ian and early

Carboniferous periods measuring up to 3

ft long and weighing around 20 lb this

Sleek Predator was a constant threat to

small fish and even other smaller sharks

what made stethacanthus truly unique was

the bizarre ironing board protrusion on

the backs of the males with its rough

rather than smooth Surface Experts

speculate that this structure may have

functioned as a docking mechanism

allowing males to attach to femal males

during mating

securely determining the exact

appearance and function of the spine

brush complex as paleontologists refer

to the ironing board took extensive

fieldwork and time when Ste canther

specimens were first Unearthed in Europe

and North America in the late 19th

century these structures were initially

thought to be a new type of fin it

wasn't until the 1970s when it was

discovered that only males had these

ironing boards that the clasper the

gained acceptance with the large flat

ironing boards on their backs adult male

stethacanthus was likely not the fastest

swimmers this along with the unique

arrangement of their teeth suggests that

stethacanthus was primarily a bottom

feeder however they probably were open

to chasing down slower fish and seapods

when the chance arose oror canthus

orthacanthus meaning straight spine was

a for formidable 10t long freshwater

fish that lived from the late

Carboniferous to the early perian period

roughly 315 to 275 million years ago

this genus includes 12 different species

two of which inhabited Texas around 280

million years ago sharing the landscape

with well-known peran creatures like

dimetrodon adasaurus and aops

orthacanthus belonged to the a canids an

order of cartilaginous fish known as

strange spines which lived from the

Carboniferous to the Triassic period

though not true sharks they were close

relatives the most famous xanthid

xenacanthus is measured 6 ft long and

its fossils have been discovered

worldwide in rocks from the

Carboniferous and perian periods these

xenic canids were freshwater species and

likely the largest fish in their

environments at 3 m long orthacanthus

was much larger than the amphibians it

coexisted with probably serving as the

apex predator in its habitat a study of

coprolites from a prehistoric freshwater

shark suggests that these fish resorted

to cannibalism during tough times the

shark in question orthacanthus was

identified by the distinctive spiral

shape of its fossilized droppings when

other food sources were scarce

orthacanthus appeared to prey on its own

kind fossilized coites discovered in the

MTO coalfield of New Brunswick Canada

revealed a grim

truth these 300 milliony Old shark

droppings were filled with the remains

of juvenile orthic canther providing

evidence of cannibalism specifically

this is an example of fial cannibalism

where adults intentionally hunt and

consume the young of their own species

sometimes even their own offspring fial

cannibalism is seen in various modern

shark species such as the bull shark

researchers believe author canthus may

have occupied a similar ecological niche

to these contemporary sharks both or

canthus and bull sharks can migrate

between saltwater and freshwater for

orthacanthus this unique adaption likely

played a crucial role in its ability to

colonize Inland freshwater environments

mear rachne Mega rachne meaning great

spider and often known as the meso

spider was a giant arachnid from the

late carboneros era found in what is now

North America and Europe dubbed the

Black Widow of the prehistoric world it

was the largest spider species ever

discovered roughly the size of a human

head despite its relatively small size

compared to other Carboniferous

carnivores megarachne was one of the

apex predators of its time the species

was first described in 1874 by American

zoologist Oscar haer after a specimen

was discovered in the oakill hills of

Scotland with a body length of just over

a foot megarachne was an impressively

large spider boasting fangs that matched

its formidable size its body excluding

the legs was as large as a human head

making it the largest spider ever known

it surpassed the modern Goliath bird

eating spider in size and mass and its

leg span was greater than that of the

giant huntsman spider despite its size

megaanon was remarkably fast and agile

capable of moving its speeds around 10

mph or 16 kmph and leaping distances up

to 32 ft much like modern jumping

spiders moreover its eyes though

distinctively designed provided it with

excellent sharp vision and a full 360°

view of its surroundings like most

spiders megarachne was a solitary Ambush

Predator that lived in underground

burrows similar to Modern trapdoor and

turret spiders besides constructing orb

webs meari would create silk trip lines

around its burrow to detect vibrations

from potential prey when prey was

detected megarachne would swiftly Ambush

and Chase it down once caught the spider

would drag its victim back to its burrow

inject digestive juices and dissolve the

prey from the inside out

consuming the resulting liquid

meal living in caves came with

significant risks for meari primarily

due to the threat of flooding from

rising Carboniferous Waters when floods

destroyed their homes surviving

megarachne had to either construct new

Burrows or Venture into the open in

search of another shelter these solitary

spiders were highly Territorial and did

not share their homes even with others

of their kind as a result a wandering

megarachne was vulnerable to the era's

larger Predators despite these

challenges megarachne was a remarkably

successful predator of its time Tully

monstrum Tully monstrum commonly called

the Tully monster was a soft bodied

Creature from the clay bataria that

existed about 307 million years ago in

Shallow tropical waters near

esteres fossils of this intriguing

animal have been discovered in the

Maison Creek Fossil Beds in Illinois

United States growing to about 35 CM or

1.1 ft in length tonstrom had a unique

appearance with stalked eyes like those

of a snail an elongated body resembling

that of a squid and a pair of vertical

ventral fins at its rear it also

featured a long proboscis equipped with

around 16 small sharp teeth eight on

each

jaw scientists suggest that this

peculiar appendage was used to probe the

mud for food allowing T monstrum to feed

on both living organisms and decaying

matter the classification of tonstrom

remains a mystery as scientists have yet

to discover whether it was a mollusk a

vertebrate or an unclassified worm some

researchers suggest it might be a

vertebrate due to the presence of what

appears to be a primitive Backbone in

some fossil specimens these fossil

also revealed internal structures

resembling Gill sacks and teeth similar

to those of modern lamp Rays

additionally a study using

non-destructive laser analysis of the

fossilized tissues found that they were

composed of proteins rather than kiten

this protein composition strongly

supports the hypothesis that tonstrom

was indeed a vertebrate some scientists

argue that tonstrom was an invertebrate

highlighting the challenge of proving

the presence of a backbone the fossils

found are mostly from Marine rocks which

primarily preserve soft tissues leaving

little evidence of internal structures

Additionally the results from the laser

study of fossilized tissues might not be

entirely accurate as not all tissues may

have been protein based furthermore

researchers have pointed out that no

Ostrum fossils have shown otic capsules

structures for balance or a lateral line

a sensory system for detecting movement

pressure and vibrations these features

are typically found in all aquatic

vertebrates casting doubt on the

vertebrate classification of tonstrom

aestus adest was a massive shark likee

fish that roamed the waters between 313

and 307 million years ago in regions

that are now the United States Russia

and the United Kingdom the largest

species adesta hin Reiki is believed to

have reached lengths of over 6.7 M or 22

ft this estimate is based on the size of

its skull and fossilized tooth

walls the upper tooth wall could grow up

to 302 CM or 1 ft while the lower wall

extended to 43 cm or 1.4 ft the tooth

walls of aestus were centrally

positioned in its mouth earning at the

nickname scissor tooth shark each wall

featured up to 12 serrated teeth that

grew at the back and gradually moved

forward before being expelled from the

front the lower wall was more curved

than the upper one many scientists

believe that aestus used its unique Jaws

like scissors to slice through smaller

fish and soft bodied creatures studies

suggest that its jaws operated with a

two gear system Ena in the lower jaw to

move forward and backward in a sowing

motion though no complete fossilized

body imprints of aestas have been

discovered researchers infer from the

fossils of its close relatives that it

likely had a body shape similar to a

great white shark it probably featured

triangular pectoral fins and Tall forked

tail fin which would have made it a

swift openwater

Predator pulmona scorpus Kirk tenses

pulmona scorpus kenis was a massive

scorpion-like creature that lived around

336 to 326 million years ago fossils of

this species were first Unearthed at the

East kirkton Quarry in Scotland in

1994 further analysis revealed that its

body structure was similar to modern-day

scorpions among the complete specimens

found some measured about 28 CM nearly a

foot long however the disc discovery of

a large fragmentary specimen LED

scientists to estimate that some of

these ancient scorpions reached an

impressive length of 71 CM over 2 ft

Pana Scorpius was not only massive but

also had four distinct eyes it had a

pair of median eyes likely used for

visual Clarity and spatial awareness and

a pair of lateral eyes that probably

detected light this combination of eyes

gave pulm monos scorpus a significant

advantage in spotting predators and prey

unlike modern scorpions that inhabit

jungles forests deserts and mountains

ponos scorpus lived in swamps scientists

believe this giant scorpion was

carnivorous praying on smaller

arthropods amphibians and early reptiles

it likely used its front claws and tail

similarly to today's scorpions clamping

onto prey with its claws and injecting

Venom from its stinger before consuming

them

meso thyrus enormous Mesa thyrus

enormous was a gigantic flying insect

that lived about 309 million years ago

in what is now North America compared to

Mega neura Moni Mesa thyro enormous is

estimated to have had a wingspan of

around 56 CM nearly 2 ft this estimate

comes from fragmentary fossil remains

discovered at the Maison Creek fossil

bed in Illinois despite the Limited

fossil evidence scientists believe Mesa

thos enormous resembled modern

dragonflies with multiple wings that

enabled it to fly mesos is thought to

have been an herbivore feeding on plant

juices this assumption is based on its

closest relatives which had beak-like

mouth Parts with long sharp Styles it's

theorized that mes ayos enormous also

had a pump likee organ for piercing

plants and extracting their juices

scientists believe it had a pair of

small winglets in front of its larger

Wings similar to its relatives this

feature would have given mes ayos

enormous exceptional aerial Mobility

providing a distinct advantage over

other species