Arthropleura

## Physiology

### Attributes

Large, powerful jaw; long as a car; feeds on plants; aggressive; tough armor; can rear up

## Biography

### Discovery

1854

***Arthropleura*** (name meaning "*Jointed Ribs*") is a genus of millipede arthropod that originated during the Late Carboniferous Era in what is now North America and Europe. A distant relative of modern millipedes and centipedes, it was the largest known of all the terrestrial arthropods as well as the largest land invertebrate of all time and grew so large because of the high concentration of oxygen level in the Carboniferous's atmosphere. Despite its large size, *Arthropleura* was herbivorous, in fact, one of the first mainly herbivorous terrestrial animals. They had strong jaws, but it is unlikely that it may have been poisonous for defense.

## Facts

### Era & Discovery

*Arthropleura* lived in North America and Scotland during the Late Carboniferous, approximately 315 – 299 million years ago. It lived alongside other animals like *Megarachne*, *Meganeura*, and even the primitive reptiles and giant predatory amphibians. Since their discovery in 1854, there are many fossilized footprints from *Arthropleura* can be found on the coast of Scotland in the Scottish land of Arron.

### Discovery & Range

Arthropleura was first discovered in 1854 in what is now North America and Europe. Arthropleura lived in North America and Europe during the Carboniferous.

### Physical Description

*Arthropluera* was perhaps the largest arthropod of the Carboniferous and was overall among the largest arthropods that ever lived, measuring on average between 6.6 – 10 feet (2 – 3 m) long, as large as a man or crocodile and as long as a car. However, there were very rare colossal specimens that were discovered to have measured around 20 feet (6 m) in length. *Arthropleura* is the largest land arthropod known, a huge relative of the modern millipedes closely resembling a giant centipede or millipede.

### Behavior & Traits

*Arthropleura* was a solitary creature, often foraging on the forest floors of the Carboniferous. *Arthropleura* was a massive arthropod that they were such powerful beasts. In spite of its daunting appearance, it as a herbivore, feeding on the rotting foliage, dead-wood and leaves on the floor of the steamy Carboniferous Period swamp forests. Although later found out they were vegetarians, their strong jaws can still have delivered a nasty bite.

*Arthropleura* was herbivorous though when they were juveniles, they ate meat because they couldn't digest plants until they grew older. *Arthropleura* was one of the first animals to eat plants, they had strong jaws, but it is unlikely that it may have been poisonous for defense. *Arthropleura* was practically blind but had a good sense of smell and touch through which to detect other animals. It is discovered that while *Arthropleura* was a timid creature, it was also shown to be highly aggressive and could be easily provoked into attacking.

Most *Arthropleura* lived in piles of leaves or foliage or in small underground dens whilst some lived out in the open. As its body armor was colored similar to its surroundings, *Arthropleura* was camouflaged. However, its armor couldn't protect it from the Carboniferous forest fires. Although the animal would often crouch for cover on the ground, most of the time it was burned alive.