Jump to content

Pterygotid Sea Scorpions: Not The Terror Of The Paleozoic Seas?


piranha

Recommended Posts

Good article scott... the pterygotid claw is much like present day cray fish and lobsters used to scavange food from the bottom....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good article scott... the pterygotid claw is much like present day cray fish and lobsters used to scavange food from the bottom....

Not nearly as exciting or terrifying as the fancy animated CGI depictions would suggest. :(

image.png.a84de26dad44fb03836a743755df237c.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Jeje, humans like to imagine everything like a big threat with a big destruction capability. Very cool article.

Edited by Carlos
banner_WoF02.gif
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Good article. Not great, though. The suggestion that pterygotids were vegetarians is a flippant and completely unsupported one. I'll accept the scavenger role, though. In nature, a free meal is never passed up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good article. Not great, though. The suggestion that pterygotids were vegetarians is a flippant and completely unsupported one. I'll accept the scavenger role, though. In nature, a free meal is never passed up.

Not completely unsupported at least within their own ranks of claw force specialists. Sounds convincing especially when Newton Forces are brought to bear. Perhaps an answer or refutation is in preparation as we speak. Like you, I rather prefer to enjoy the clade as the true Paleozoic Predators of the sea, certainly not scavenging omnivores dining on veggies as a last resort food source. What can be said about modern Crustacea and their mode of life?

image.png.a84de26dad44fb03836a743755df237c.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Eurypterida myth-busters:

article

Not completely unsupported at least within their own ranks of claw force specialists. Sounds convincing especially when Newton Forces are brought to bear. Perhaps an answer or refutation is in preparation as we speak. Like you, I rather prefer to enjoy the clade as the true Paleozoic Predators of the sea, certainly not scavenging omnivores dining on veggies as a last resort food source. What can be said about modern Crustacea and their mode of life?

I've found some pretty nasty looking Devonian jaw bits from arthrodires in Hagersville...give any eurypterid a nasty bite considering the heavily armoured fish will (presumably) make quick work of a eurypterid with a shell only as thick as a cuticle. Seems like a mis-match if it ever came ti it ( as unlikely as it was). Perhaps we can say eurypterids were the terrors of the marginal marine evironments?

I'd put a 2 metre arthrodire as the "terror" of the normal marine environment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...