Scientists have identified one of the largest scorpions ever to have lived on Earth after piecing together fossils unearthed in the UK more than 150 years ago.

The formidable creature, named Praearcturus gigas, lived around 415 million years ago during the Silurian period and grew to the size of a modern Labrador dog, according to new research published in the journal Palaeontology.

Fragments of the ancient arachnid suggest it possessed powerful pincers measuring 16 centimetres (over 6 inches) long and had a body roughly one metre in length. At a time when life on land was still in its infancy, Praearcturus gigas stood out as a true giant."This would have been the biggest scorpion in the world at the time," researchers noted. The fossils were originally discovered in rocks from what is now England and Wales, indicating that vast wetland areas of ancient Britain were once home to these impressive predators.

Because terrestrial ecosystems were relatively new during the Silurian period, few animals had evolved to such enormous sizes. Praearcturus is believed to have been a formidable hunter, capable of stalking prey both in shallow waters and on land. Scientists think it preyed on early fish and other small animals in the swampy, riverine environments that covered parts of Britain hundreds of millions of years ago.

The fossils had sat in collections for a century and a half before modern analysis allowed palaeontologists to properly reconstruct and classify the species. The delay highlights how new techniques and fresh perspectives continue to unlock secrets hidden in long-forgotten specimens.

The discovery offers a rare glimpse into a long-lost world when giant arthropods dominated the landscape before being gradually replaced by vertebrates. While Praearcturus gigas is extinct, its impressive size serves as a striking reminder of the extraordinary diversity of life that once thrived in ancient Britain.

The full study is published in the journal Palaeontology. (ILKHA)