Page 49 - The Dinosaur Book and Other Wonders of the Prehistoric World (DK-Smithsonian)
P. 49

Millipedes like
                     Euphoberia were some      This 310-million-
                     of the first animals to live   year-old insect used                        Like all early flying
                     entirely on dry land.   its piercing mouthparts                            insects, Stenodictya
                                                 to suck plant sap.
                                                                                                flew on two pairs of wings
                                                                                                like those of dragonflies.









                              Euphoberia fossil                                          Stenodictya                 Arthropod empire







                                The long, slender pincers                            Archimylacris fossil
                                of this scorpion are very like      Living 300 million
                                those of the more venomous             years ago, this
                                modern scorpions.                     cockroach would
                                                                   have fed on decaying
                                                                       plant material
                                                                     on the forest floor.


                                                             Gallio fossil







                                                                          A beautifully
                                                                         preserved fossil
                                                                        reveals dark bands
                                                                          on the wings of
                                                                           Lithomantis.
















                      The long tail was
                     probably tipped with
                    a powerful stinger for
                   defense and killing prey.                                         Lithomantis fossil


           cockroach. They were hunted by predatory             would have spent most of their lives as wingless
           centipedes, early spiders, scorpions like            nymphs or grubs that lived underwater or in the
           Cyclophthalmus, and insects like Meganeura.          ground, before emerging as winged adults. Like
           The forests would have been buzzing with these       modern mayflies, these may have had very short
           animals, especially insects that, in an era before   adult lives, but they have survived for millions of
           birds, were the only animals able to fly. Many       years as fossils.                                     47





   US_046-047_Arthropod_Empire.indd   47                                                                         10/04/18   3:33 PM
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