Wednesday 22 April 2015

Creature 204: Arthropleura

A millipede that was bigger than you.
Description:
Arthropleura is a genus of millipedes which went extinct a very long time ago.

The larger species in this genus could reach sizes of over 2 meters long. This makes it the largest terrestrial arthropod of all time. Millipedes couldn't grow that large in today's atmosphere because there is a lower concentration of Oxygen. Millipedes, like most other arthropods don't breath but rely on the diffusion of oxygen in and out of their body through a complex network of tubes exposed to the atmosphere. This process is more efficient when the atmospheric concentration of Oxygen is high.


Distribution:
Fossils of this genus are restricted to the Carboniferous Period (360-300 million years ago). They are found in the North East of the North American continent and in Scotland.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Diplopoda
Order: Arthropleurida
Family: Arthropleuridae
Genus: Arthropleura

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