The HUGE Sea Scorpion that was actually a River Monster - Jaekelopterus

REFERENCES:
academic.oup.com/mbe/article/...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1...
royalsocietypublishing.org/do...
www.idunn.no/doi/10.1111/j.15...
link.springer.com/article/10....\
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
In this video, we'll be learning all about the giant Pterygotid Eurypterid called Jaekelopterus rhenaniae, perhaps the biggest arthropod of all time, and closely related to the better-known Pterygotus. We'll explore how the animal could have lived, swam, and hunted, as well as what sort of environment it likely inhabited. Finally, we'll go over a common explanation for why it and its relatives went extinct - but perhaps it's more flawed than many realise.
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Teller of the Tales by Kevin MacLeod
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Midnight Tale by Kevin MacLeod
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Suonatore di Liuto by Kevin MacLeod
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[@SithMami]

Haha! "I just KNOW that I'd try to pet it--even if it cost me my hand, or worse!" This is one of the many reasons why we love you.

[@brianedwards7142]

*Screams like the heroine of a 50s B- movie*

[@Kroggnagch]

Lol that was good

[@adrammelechthewroth6511]

I freaking love Eurypterids. Absolute units.

[@Kroggnagch]

I wanna get a little saddle that fits one, and ride it. Lol

[@trilobite3120]

0:54 From what I've seen, they're closely related to both scorpions and horseshoe crabs, being more derived than the horseshoe crabs and basal to the arachnids

[@sonofeyeabovealleffoff5462]

Agreed. A distant cousin though. But a valid argument.

[@steadie]

eurypterids .. pterygotids.. my favourite prehistoric guys in the world. was so so excited to see this in my notifications!!

[@BugsandBiology]

They’re some of my favourites too, alongside Radiodonts and Arthropleura. Azhdarchid pterosaurs have also recently become some of my favourite extinct animals, pretty much entirely because of Prehistoric Planet.

[@adrammelechthewroth6511]

Eurypterids and centipedes are my two favorite arthropods on this planet. They deserve to be respected.

[@trilobite3120]

I'm personally a fan of whatever the f was going on at Orsten, plus the placoderms and paleozoic cephalopods.

[@lucasmendoza7576]

The morphology, hunting tacics, and method of locomotion of Jaekelopterus reminds me a lot of modern day giant water bugs. A brilliant example of convergent evolution.

[@longslhonglogan2959]

Bro I didn’t see the spider on ya shoulder til 5:25 😂😂😂

[@astick5249]

Eurypterids seem to be at least reasonably well known yet criminally underrepresented. I want to see how these things moved yet i hardly ever find good depictions of it.

[@BugsandBiology]

That could be a future topic for a video

[@scottbruner9266]

5:08 “….id just try to pet it…” That’s how I met my girlfriend ten years ago….

[@Alberad08]

Thanks a lot for creating & sharing! BTW really love your background music - and off course your little buddy.

[@BugsandBiology]

Thanks!

[@jointcerulean3350]

Would be cool if there was an undiscovered underground cave with pigmy Eurypterids. Also epic video🗿

[@BugsandBiology]

Would be awesome for sure! Won’t be holding out hope though…

[@Shadowstriker2018]

The one thing to make any jaekelopterus start shaking with fear: JEREMY WADE

[@BugsandBiology]

I can already picture Wade diving on top of one after reeling it close enough to the shore.

[@hilliard665]

Chelicerae is one of my favourite words lol

[@SpydrXIII]

because it's ancient greek the "ch" is a "k" sound. (kĭ-lĭs′ər-ə)

[@daviddicristina7328]

Awesome video, always down for prehistoric Arthropods what really would have been funny as April fools joke was trying to confirm Mesothelae as a actual spider rather then a Eurypterid Ps that huntsman was like, ‘how do I climb this tall awkward tree’

[@BugsandBiology]

I was contemplating making a parody of those “top ten deadliest spiders” videos for April Fools, but alas, I suffered the consequences of procrastinating once again.

[@adrammelechthewroth6511]

Same here.

[@P.ilhaformosatherium]

​@BugsandBiology Well The window is still open for next year aye

[@rhino69420]

@@BugsandBiology Brave Wilderness just released a bite video of Scolopendra Dehanni. Could you make a video on it?

[@BugsandBiology]

Haven’t watched the full vid yet, but the thumbnail is of the wrong species (Peruvian white-leg). As a side note, that white-legged centipede looks seriously unhealthy. Extensive mycosis and very sluggish movements, especially towards the head.

[@PaleoEdits]

The not-so-arthropod-friendly Walking With Monsters introduced me to this guy when the show came out, and it really captured me more than any of the other characters at the time. I wonder, was it re-dated to the Devonian or did the filmmakers carelessly throw into the Silurian? With regard to its extinction, while it's always interesting to ponder why a particular species or family suffers, it is at the end of the day the norm in Earth history; and paleozoic in particular is completely littered with chaotic extinctions events/biodiversity crises. One might as well call it the deathozoic. So perhaps it's the survivors who are the true weirdos, and whose oddity is more demanding of an explanation? Well, either way, how lucky we are to be alive. [Insert obligitory griffinfly video request]

[@BugsandBiology]

Well it was called Pterygotus in WWM, which was Silurian. Although the size was more fitting for Jaekelopterus. Either way, the Walking with… trilogy is no stranger to both oversized and anachronistic animals. As for dragonflies/griffinflies. Well, once I can get some decent footage, maybe. Dragonflies are very hard to film, especially since I’m currently stuck to using my phone.

[@PaleoEdits]

@@BugsandBiology Oh, I see. I assumed it was Jaekelop because Kenneth said "largest arthropod ever" or something along those lines. Thanks for the correction!

[@adrammelechthewroth6511]

Oh you naive fool. Nothing really changed in terms of death/extinction. The players may be different but the end result is the same. Humans have been simply sheltered by their technology and enhanced with their weapons. Hell, humans are even more violent and ruthless than most animals on Earth. Every human have the capacity for evil and can do things for no rhyme or reason. Humans are monsters. I simply accept it rather than deny it.

[@BugsandBiology]

@PaleoEdits yeah he did present it as the biggest arthropod of all time. But after all, that’s coming from the same trilogy that gave us 25 metre Liopleurodon.

[@PaleoEdits]

@@BugsandBiology Cont. with the dragonfly thing, you could use a large net and catch one in the air. Hold it with your finger on top to lock the wings and it should be fine :)

[@insectilluminatigetshrekt5574]

How do you think large individuals would have handled molting?

[@ichthyovenator3351]

Omg Jeremy Wade needs to know about this now! Another great prehistory vid for sure. I think some interesting candidates for future subjects would be Pulmunoscorpius, Hibbertopterus or Marrella. And petting a Jaekelopterus would both be awesome and net the end of that one Brontoscorpio in WWM.

[@BugsandBiology]

Hibbertopterus will be the next prehistoric invert I feature. As a side note, I may also make a video about the Lilstock ichthyosaur, but I’m not entirely sure yet.

[@trilobite3120]

0:12 Magical liopleurodon! Also Katydid (I assume)

[@clmm7418]

Interesting stuff 🤔 👍

[@elfdog2915]

Love the video, trying to raise triops now more info when I get it reliable

[@BugsandBiology]

That sounds fun! I tried and failed to hatch some when I was a kid.

[@adrammelechthewroth6511]

@@BugsandBiology I raised one of them. Then I just chose to preserve its carcass in a plastic container filled alcohol. Later on I just decided to bury it outside.

[@adrammelechthewroth6511]

@@BugsandBiology This video taught me some things I actually didn't know about eurypterids. I had no idea that many eurypterids continued surviving even after the Silurian period. I knew megarachnia was a Devonian terrestrial Eurypterid and was not a spider. But to now learn the many other Eurypterids persisted throughout the Devonian just impresses me.

[@BugsandBiology]

They actually made it all the way to the Permian. Very successful group of animals indeed!

[@DJLucas-xv7oe]

I love chelicerates. They are unique for arthropods as they are the only group of thss phylum to not have antennae but they do have sensory organs similar to them.

[@DJLucas-xv7oe]

Don't forget the sea spiders.

[@Intelligenthumour]

Honestly it seems like Cope's rule only really applies to animals who're in more K-selective pressures. Size is a big investment after all, so you'd want a more stable environment. Harsh environments also convey an advantage to larger sizes as you have more resources to depend upon during prolonged periods without food, less to worry about in the way of predators and a greater range of size for what you can reliably prey on. Also of course you're more capable of winning intrasexual competition for mates.

[@P.ilhaformosatherium]

What are your thoughts on Eurypterids Possessing a hyaline layer making them fluorescent under Ultra violet light

[@BugsandBiology]

I can’t see a reason to suspect they’d have it. One, because they’re predominantly aquatic, and two, because their likely closest living relatives (horseshoe crabs) don’t have it. But of course, I can’t say for sure either way.

[@bennettfender9927]

I believe Eurypterids are actually considered closer to spiders and scorpions nowadays than horseshoe crabs though I could be mistaken.

[@BugsandBiology]

I believe that’s been reversed back to them being sister groups with horseshoe crabs.

[@bennettfender9927]

@@BugsandBiology Gotcha.

[@BugsandBiology]

The paper is one of the links I’ve put in the description, though I can’t remember which one.

[@bennettfender9927]

@@BugsandBiology Thank you I’ll check it out that unfortunately makes the info presented in my own series out dated but what can ya do 😂.

[@bennettfender9927]

@@BugsandBiology One other thing I will say about he vid is that we actually do have Jaekelopterus fossils from the Hunsruck Shale in Germany suggesting that the genus may have inhabited both fresh and salt water of course this is debatable as the remains could’ve been washed out to sea but I do believe it is worth mentioning.

[@YUN6_V3NUZ]

i dont blame u 4 wanting 2 pet it lol

[@Kroggnagch]

Jakelopterics: *P I N C H* Edit: I REALY screwed the critters name up on my first attempt lol I think I'm still off a letter or two, but hey...

[@BugsandBiology]

A pinch from a small crab hurts enough; can only imagine what one of these could do…

[@Jaekolopterus]

That's me fr fr

[@dukethespider]

Man mispronounces organism to... well we know what, but must say "wedding vegetables" when referring to the business down below. I was also thinking about how the taxonomists job is pretty dirty work.... These things are pretty magnificent! When the taxonomy was done I was like "wait is that it?" and was relieved that there was way more of an analysis on this massive creature. Seeing the fossils and horrifyingly large chelicerae is pretty gnarly. I think these guys shot up some of my favourite arthropod lists. Great work as always!

[@theprehistorichubert9448]

I wloud never think that I'd see another person on the Internet who wloud want to pet a pterygotid

[@BugsandBiology]

Haha! Well, this is the guy who presents with a huntsman on his face, so surely that desire to get up close and personal with arthropods would carry over to prehistoric ones…

[@Maryaus688]

Hello bugs&Biology i need help identifying this spider it’s not a tent spider but it’s web looked like a bowl the spider was brown and looked similar to a wolf spider but with out those eyes and stripe on the body the spider was extremely quick and the web was massive.

[@BugsandBiology]

Dendrolycosa icadia perhaps?

[@Maryaus688]

​@@BugsandBiologyTHANK YOU SO MUCH

[@resurrectedhelicoprion]

i wanna make a massive bean bag in the shape of a eurypterid

[@BugsandBiology]

A life sized Jaekelopterus plush would unleash my inner child like nothing else.

[@Imleona]

Was like what’s on his face 😅

[@BugsandBiology]

It’s my extremely radical way of distracting viewers from how incredibly awkward I am on camera.

[@Imleona]

@@BugsandBiology what your great ! Don’t change . 🫶🏻

[@adrammelechthewroth6511]

@@BugsandBiology Please put that poor spider back in it's terrarium. That spider could easily fall on the floor and get crushed to death.

[@chpet1655]

Delicious !

[@Orthosaur7532]

Even scarier!

[@adrammelechthewroth6511]

You mean cooler.

[@Orthosaur7532]

@@adrammelechthewroth6511 It's basically the same thing when regarding prehistory! 😁

[@gamervox1707]

Water scorpiods a better common name?

[@BugsandBiology]

I’d say so! Unfortunately there is a group of aquatic insects that bear a very similar name, so it could cause a little confusion.

[@gamervox1707]

@@BugsandBiology Then it would be funny, if you had a video on Water scorpions.

[@longslhonglogan2959]

With the hunting could it have been a ambush predator laying in the mud useing it’s fin like legs to bury themselves and wait with those nasty claws ???

[@BugsandBiology]

It seems to exhibit far more adaptations for active predation than for burrowing. Namely forward facing eyes and swimming paddles.

[@longslhonglogan2959]

@@BugsandBiology ofc ofc

[@tomholroyd7519]

Your spider doesn't like the lights, you know. Maybe do a vid sitting down in a darker room

[@albatross4920]

Jake Paul-opterus

[@SecondaryHomunculus]

Hearing "pterygotid" just gives me visions of a goat-headed pterodactyl because my brain is not right. 😆

[@Ducatirati]

I try to share you more interesting guys , and other people out there , who would be riveted, can't get past the ADS , and turn you and Clint , And Dave , Off , adverts , is not what people want , I'll keep trying , like if it's advertised , I will not buy it , Saddens me , shoving adverts down your throat, at least you have a buddy by choice , you chose , oh well , AVERICE , what clade was responsible for that ??

[@BugsandBiology]

Ads for Grammarly frequently show up on videos - that’s one advert you probably should pay attention to.

[@vgernyc]

Why are eurypterids often depicted without mouthparts? Too much nightmare fuel for artists?

[@BugsandBiology]

In Pterygotids, the front pincers are enlarged mouthparts (chelicerae).