Long before the dinosaurs walked the Earth, the oceans were ruled by strange and mighty creatures called Eurypterids or sea scorpions. Some were as long as a surfboard, gliding silently through the dark water like underwater giants.
Scientists believe their shells may have helped them sense light, almost like having built-in night vision. In the dim, shadowy ocean, they could “feel” where it was safe to hide.
And here’s something even more magical… their shells may have glowed bright blue or green under special light – just like scorpions today! Even after 400 million years, their fossils can still glow when scientists shine UV torches on them, as if they’re sending us a message from the ancient past.
Although these sea scorpions are now extinct, their distant “cousins” still light up the ocean today. In the waters of the Great Barrier Reef, tiny crustaceans and worms glow in the dark, turning the sea into a sparkling, underwater night sky.
In a real-life scientific mystery, experts at the Queensland Museum discovered a giant sea scorpion fossil that had been hiding in plain sight for years. When they finally took a closer look, they realised it was a brand-new species called Woodwardopterus freemanorum, a long-lost ocean giant and the last of its kind ever found. Read the original article at Queensland Museum Network Blog
Want to Know More?
- National Geographic: Why do scorpions glow in the dark (and could their whole bodies be one big eye?)
- Australian Museum: Prehistoric Sea Scorpions -For more facts about the “Ancient Giants” that once lived in Australia.
- National Geographic Kids: Scorpion Facts - A kid-friendly guide to how scorpions live and glow.
- Australian Geographic: The Mystery Behind a Scorpion’s Glow - Explains how the glow helps them “feel” if their tail is sticking out of a hiding spot.
