The Biggest Creepy-Crawly Ever was Still Growing | Hibbertopterus

REFERENCES:
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Time to delve back into the wonderful, fascinating world of giant, prehistoric bugs! In this video, we'll be looking at the giant Carboniferous Eurypterid ("sea scorpion") Hibbertopterus. The Carboniferous was ruled by giant creepy-crawlies, ranging from insects the size of birds to millipedes longer than a man is tall, but Hibbertopterus could very well have outweighed them all. And what's more, is that this enormous critter could have been a juvenile version of something even bigger!
Music:
Teller of the Tales by Kevin MacLeod
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License: filmmusic.io/s...
Midnight Tale by Kevin MacLeod
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License: filmmusic.io/s...
Suonatore di Liuto by Kevin MacLeod
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License: filmmusic.io/s...
Village Ambiance by Alexander Nakarada
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License: creativecommons...

[@BugsandBiology]

Randomly decided to hang my painting of Minas Tirith up to make the backdrop a little less plain. As a side note, if my narration sounds a little off at times, I was a bit sick when recording some of the voiceover.

[@katherinekoza6536]

You sounded perfectly fine . Hope you are feeling a bit better now .

[@dukethespider]

I honestly had no idea, you sounded fine as always, but I am sorry to hear you were sick and I hope you're feeling better.

[@timexyemerald6290]

That spider is the one actually speaking. human is just a puppet that is getting controlled by the giant spider on the face

[@alexwhite6554]

"giant"

[@katherinekoza6536]

🤣🤣🤣

[@tikaalik]

That is one massive, overgrown Triops. 😅

[@BugsandBiology]

Or undergrown, since it could be a juvenile of something even bigger!

[@tikaalik]

@@BugsandBiology An undergrown, overgrown Triops 😂

[@ichthyovenator3351]

Not bad for a turbo-size horshoecrab lookalike. I will say I love the colouration on the Hibbertopterus. Much more interesting than the common browns you usually see. And the odd taxonomy is fitting. Being found so early and immediately being placed as a eurypterine reminds me of how so many theropods were just Megalosaurus at one point.

[@BugsandBiology]

Seems to be a recurring theme for animals that were among the first members of their respective groups to be described. Even among modern fauna too, like centipedes all being classified as Scolopendra before other genera were erected.

[@ichthyovenator3351]

@@BugsandBiology context seems very much essential. I doubt we’d do better if we didn’t have hundreds of years of science to fall back on. Still funny to think about tho

[@firelinksunlight9692]

I love these videos so much. Please never stop making them. Ive learned so much and its really stoked my love and appreciation for arthropods

[@BugsandBiology]

I’ll definitely be keeping the paleo content going! So many fascinating prehistoric arthropods that deserve attention.

[@Alberad08]

Great informative feature! BTW love the background music very much - and off course your little companion.

[@AdventureswithAmbrose]

13:53 "Drepanopterus pentlandicus...natures precursors to motivational speakers...it's never too late to change..." 🤣

[@braydancoe3390]

Great content. Thank you from NZ. ❤

[@FuzzyBunnyofInle]

Tell me you're secretly a supervillain,.. without telling me you're a supervillain.

[@BugsandBiology]

It's like what Megamind said: what's the difference between a villain and a supervillain? PRESENTATION!!!

[@HiveSci]

I love this channel so much. You inspire me!!!

[@BugsandBiology]

Thanks!

[@AdventureswithAmbrose]

🕷Wow! I've never witnessed a spider moult (...just crickets). 🎥Awesome footage! Thank you 🙏🏼

[@thedarkmasterthedarkmaster]

This genus really shows the diversity of "sea scoprions" more like a freshwater non scorpion

[@petrfedor1851]

Like how moany paleoart just show it with smaller critters crawling all over it.

[@BugsandBiology]

Yeah it’s kinda endearing, and honestly very plausible. Plus it makes the whole scene feel more alive, like the animal is part of an actual ecosystem.

[@NoriSausrus]

You have balls of steel I would scream so hard if something ever crawled over my face like that

[@BugsandBiology]

It’s a…unique accessory for sure haha

[@katherinekoza6536]

Excellent video . What living type fish were there in that period ,if any .?

[@BugsandBiology]

Early relatives of sharks were around, as were various lobe-finned fishes. Plenty more too.

[@katherinekoza6536]

@@BugsandBiology Thanks . Perhaps you could do a video on those sometime too .

[@HalliePere]

great video!

[@BugsandBiology]

Thanks!

[@whyukraine]

Please add these paleo vids to your paleo playlist. I've also noticed some old paleo vids that are not in the paleo list, but rather the informational videos list.

[@martinkaleczinski9481]

I just adore your face hugging huntsman spider, whats her name?

[@BugsandBiology]

@@martinkaleczinski9481 honestly I don’t bother naming my huntsmen. Too short-lived to get attached to, heartless as that may sound.

[@martinkaleczinski9481]

@@BugsandBiology Low, low is the amount of heartlessness thats shown by this bug-expert! "Tin Man" should we call him.... Sorry.... As a Tarantula keeper, I sometimes forget about the rather short lifespan of most other big spideys.

[@ericbeeman8717]

When ya find out uluru is a giants heart muscle and ur mind is blown

[@BugsandBiology]

[Citation Needed]

[@timrosswood4259]

Source?

[@jigilub]

Arthropod Pool Cleaners! But not my pool...

[@BugsandBiology]

That is honestly such a good description for Hibbertopterus

[@edwardirwin888]

sea arthropods are such a vibe, I wish some of the bigger bois were still around

[@BugsandBiology]

At least we’ve got the Japanese spider crab.

[@edwardirwin888]

@BugsandBiology sometimes I feel like all decapod's destinies are to eventually Evolve into crab

[@P.ilhaformosatherium]

awwww

[@yanliwei9300]

Don't know if you'll see this, but I have a question for you. I'm a young Australian who is interested in entomology, and in one of your past videos, you collected a male huntsman spider from the wild so that you could have it breed with your female one. I was wondering if a permit or something similar is required to do such a thing, since it could be an option for me if I want to expand my hobby.

[@BugsandBiology]

You don’t need a permit for huntsmen. But it’s a different case for other inverts, like tarantulas.

[@supposedlygreg]

Hi I was wondering your taken on Channel like Clint Reptile and Jack Wild life ? I saw your video on Exotic Lair and especially the one on Coyote Peterson (which I agree 100%) I just discover Jack Wild Life Channel about a week ago and as I'm not a Biologist or expert on wildlife I was wondering if he's legit I do like that he does not over dramatize sting or bite video that he make, and I do like the Is This a good PET video from Clint Reptile and the phylogeny video that he make but not being an expert I do not know if those 2 creator are legit and good or if its all BS :) This might sound weird as a question but having 2 little kids I want them to watch good creator and not sensational bs full of mistake and bad editing like Brave Wilderness

[@BugsandBiology]

Jack and Clint are both much more reliable sources of info than Coyote. As a matter of fact, I’ll be meeting up with Jack and a few others in the not so distant future.

[@supposedlygreg]

@@BugsandBiology cool, I hope you guys will have fun and thanks for your reply :)

[@bustavonnutz]

Clint is a hardcore evolutionist that's prone to confirmation bias (I've done responses to him on my own channel), but when it comes to his actual reptile content he's pretty solid.

[@dukethespider]

​@@supposedlygregif it's any consolation, Jack pokes fun at Coyote a fair bit. He did a video on getting stung by a lot of painful inverts and does not go to the ground and starts like rolling like a leg was dismembered or something.

[@supposedlygreg]

@@dukethespider haha ok good to know, I know what I will be watching tonight then hehe :)

[@roro-mm7cc]

is that a giant spider on his face?!?! :o

[@BugsandBiology]

It is indeed haha

[@roro-mm7cc]

@@BugsandBiology whyyyyyy

[@insectilluminatigetshrekt5574]

Do you think it neared the maximum size for arthropods, or could they get bigger?

[@BugsandBiology]

I don’t really know to be honest. The potential size for “adult” Hibbertopterus is enormous judging by those South African trackways.

[@insectilluminatigetshrekt5574]

@@BugsandBiology is there any agreed mass estimates for hib?

[@BugsandBiology]

I didn’t really come across any. But it’s pretty safe to assume it’d outweigh both Arthropleura and Jaekelopterus.

[@stuckp1stuckp122]

How was it possible for them to get so big? Internal circulation?

[@agmuntianu]

probably high oxygen availability

[@Kevin-hx2ky]

@@agmuntianu That was disproven with the existence of Permian griffinflies

[@BugsandBiology]

Relatives of Hibbertopterus persisted into the end of the Permian, when oxygen was way lower. Perhaps that sturdy shape, coupled with generally aquatic habits, allowed them to get gigantic without being too hampered by gravity.

[@Sal1va]

W I D E

[@TheLokiBiz]

You got something on your face dude lol

[@BugsandBiology]

Yeah thought I felt something. Wasn't sure...

[@alexanderkelly2517]

The honk is a Yeechalopterus?

[@BugsandBiology]

Jaekelopterus

[@chazsaw]

Do we have much knowledge of what the telson was adapted for on these chunky fuckers?

[@BugsandBiology]

I can’t really see the telson serving much of a function myself. Didn’t really come across many studies talking about it, although a couple papers were paywalled, so they could’ve included some info I missed.

[@chazsaw]

I guess it could be as simple as horseshoe crabs - flip yourself over if you wind up on your back, wave it about and hiss if something threatening is nearby.

[@dukethespider]

It took us 5 minutes before you uttered a curse word. Is this a new record? Still, a fascinating specimen. That is also a very well preserved looking fossil, and you could probably make an hour long video with "this was called this but it is more like this or isn't that". Still, great presentation, great pacing and word choices. It didn't feel like 15 minutes at all, and I just wanted to hear more. Also the discussion about taxonomy wasn't boring at all, even if it went over my head (possibly due to sleep deprivation)

[@RomeGunnLeaf_36710]

Nohhtmarefuel

[@RomeGunnLeaf_36710]

Worse than nightmare fuel

[@BugsandBiology]

Probably would've been harmless though.