They found the fossil of a millipede the size of a car

Carboniferous age, which began 359 million years It ended 299 million years ago, and was marked by the existence of giant insects, Because High concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere, which according to estimates reached 35% (currently 21%).

A group of scientists made an amazing discovery in England: 326 million years old fossil, showing the traces of the largest millipede ever discovered. it is expected that He was about 2.7 meters tall, similar to the length of the car.

“It was a completely serendipitous discovery.”And Dice Earth scientist Neil Davies from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. “The way the rock fell, it cracked and completely exposed the fossil, which He happened to see one of our former PhD students“.

The recovered part of the fossil Measures 75 cm, although the actual millipede was much larger. The team appreciates it It can weigh about 50 kilograms, as posted Science alert.

These animals lived around the equator For nearly 45 million yearsand became extinct about 250 million years ago. The reason is not clear, it may be due in part to reptile height which eventually overcame them.

The fossil was discovered in sandstone It falls off a cliff and was originally in a river channel. Represents what is likely be part of the exoskeleton, which was finally filled with sand that was later saved. Publish the research in the journal Journal of the Geological Society.