Extinct creatures-- assorted arthropods (Patreon)

Continuing with the ancient invertebrates, here we have four very neat old bugs. The first is Meganeura, which lived at the same time as Arthropleura and is pretty self-explanatory-- a very big dragonfly, SO big, incredibly big. Dragonflies are predators, and these giant boys probably terrorized a group of very very large Carboniferous arthropods with an equally large name, the herbivorous Palaeodictyopterans.

But long before they conquered the skies, arthropods had conquered the seas, and then lost out to fish, and then conquered the freshwater ecosystems, before losing out to fish again. Anyway, eurypterids! They're a group of arthropods also known as the sea scorpions, though they're actually related to horseshoe crabs.  Most species were of a reasonable size, but there were giants like Jaekelopterus among them as well. The "stinger" on the tail end of some species was not venemous, like scorpion tails, but it was pointy and probably very good for stabbing.

ALSO HEY, I'm gonna be at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle from March 1-4th, booth 1102-- you should swing by and get some books! I'll also be doing a panel on women in horror on the 4th at 1:15, BE THERE. I'LL KNOW IF YOU AREN'T

As always, thank you all for your support, and I hope you enjoy these bugs. I'll be posting another chunk of invertebrates next week, see you thennnn--

-Abby