Fossil of 8-foot scorpion found

<p>British researchers said Tuesday that they have discovered an 18-inch-long fossilized claw of an ancient sea scorpion that would have been 8 feet long, making it the largest arthropod ever discovered.</p><p>"We knew the sea scorpions were among the largest creepy-crawlies ever, but we didn't realize just how big they could get," said paleontologist Simon Braddy of the University of Bristol.</p><p>Sea scorpions became extinct about 250 million years ago, but they were precursors of modern land-based scorpions.</p><p>Smaller varieties are common in the fossil record, and evidence suggests that they ventured onto land for brief forays.</p><p>-- Press Democrat news services</p>