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🧬 Biological Classification (Kingdom to Species)Jaekelopterus rhenaniae

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Order

Eurypterida

Family

Pterygotidae

Genus

Jaekelopterus

Species

Jaekelopterus rhenaniae

🥩 Carnivore

Jaekelopterus

Jaekelopterus rhenaniae (Jaekelopterus · ジェケロプテルス)

🛡️ Conservation Status (IUCN Red List)FOSSIL (Extinct Fossil)

Known only from fossils. The IUCN Red List assesses only species extant since 1500 CE, so fossil taxa are not assigned a category.

Geological Era

Early Devonian (~410.62 MYA)

Diet

Carnivore

Length · Height

2.5m · No data

Mass · Top Speed

No data · No data

Habitat & Fossil Locality

Waters bordering the sea during the Early Devonian (Willwerath fossil beds in the Eifel region of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany)

💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed

💡 A body length of about 2.5 m is about 1.5 times the height of an adult human (about 1.7 m) (Comparison).
💡 A pincer length of about 45.5 cm is about 1.5 times the long side of an A4 sheet of paper (29.7 cm) (Comparison). The study that estimated its body size from a single pincer led to the conclusion that it was the "largest arthropod."

Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.

#야이켈롭테루스#Jaekelopterus rhenaniae

📖 1. Overview

Jaekelopterus rhenaniae (genus Jaekelopterus) was a giant sea scorpion (eurypterid) that lived in the region of Germany during the Early Devonian and is counted among the largest arthropods ever to evolve. Its size became known in 2007 from a single claw fossil.

🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology

Its pincer (chelicera) was shaped like a large hook estimated at about 45.5 cm in length when fully grown. From the length of this pincer, its body length is estimated at about 2.5 m.

🔍 3. Fossil Record & Paleoecology

The paper regards it as a top predator of coastal waters that ate early vertebrates, smaller arthropods, and even members of its own group. Researchers point out that with such a massive body, walking on land would have been difficult.