News Paleontology

The largest arthropod to ever live finally has a head 

Scientists have been looking for Arthropleura’s fossilized head for over 100 years

A 3-D reconstruction of an ancient millipede fossil

This 3-D reconstruction of a fossilized juvenile Arthropleura reveals details of the millipede’s head (green), such as its mouthparts and antennae.

Lhéritier et al/Science Advances 2024

By Jason Bittel

Two newly discovered fossils are helping scientists wrap their heads around the anatomy of the largest arthropod of all time — a millipede that grew longer than a king-sized bed and lived between 346 million and 290 million years ago.