The Ordovician Sea Scorpions

Ordovician era marked the second phase of the Paleozoic era. It followed the Cambrian era and is followed by the Silurian period. Life continued to flourish in the Ordovician era too as it did in the Cambrian era, although there was a mass extinction at the ending phase of this era. Many astonishing life forms evolved during this period and Sea Scorpions are one of them.


The Sea Scorpions that are also technically known as the Eurypterids are known to belong to the group of the extinct arthropods. The earliest fossils of these creatures that are found in the extensive excavations date back to the Ordovician period that began on this earth nearly 460 million years ago. These creatures are thought to have evolved during the Cambrian period that existed on the planet nearly 510 million years ago. Although any actual fossil of the Sea Scorpions have not been found out during the excavations but some trace fossils which are recovered suggest the presence of these creatures during this period.


The Sea Scorpions whose fossils have been recovered are recognized to be sea borne animals that spent most of their lives in water, though there might be some species of the Sea Scorpions that are believed to have leaded an amphibious lifestyle and are even believed to be able to breathe both in water and land. The earliest species of the Sea Scorpions, according to the study of their fossils suggests, might began their life cycle in the shallow warm water of the sea. But as the evolution process intensified the later varieties of the Sea Scorpions preferred to be in the brackish water or the fresh water. Until they change of the habitat happened but the adaptability of these creatures helped them to survive all Ordovician period and the entire Paleozoic Era. The species of these characters finally met their doom during the Permian- Triassic mass extinction.


Sea Scorpions are not like the actual scorpions, neither they looked like them. They are believed to have been in relation with the arachnids and horseshoe crabs. Though in the recent past these Sea Scorpions are taxonomically placed in the same class as the horseshoe crab that are called Merostomata but today they have been identified to be in an entirely separate class called Eurypterida.