Researchers working in Morocco's famed Fezouata Biota, a geological formation in southeastern Morocco, have uncovered the oldest known «sea scorpions» (eurypterids) ever found, pushing back the origin of this iconic arthropod group by 12 to 15 million years. The international team, led by palaeontologist Peter Van Roy, with collaborators from Harvard University, the Natural History Museum of Prague, and the West Bohemian Museum, identified spinose limb fragments and a cuticle patch belonging to a new species, ?Carcinosoma aurorae. The fossils date to the Early Ordovician, about 479 million years ago, shows the study published on November 12. The discovery, the authors say, «demonstrates that key ecological and morphological innovations within Eurypterida were already established by the Early Ordovician». The use of high-resolution imaging techniques allowed researchers to analyse the fossilized appendages and cuticle ornamentation in detail. The specimens were excavated by experienced Moroccan collectors and exported under official permits. With this discovery, Morocco's Fezouata Biota, already known for its exceptional preservation, is reaffirmed as a key window into early Paleozoic life and the origins of major animal groups.
