Ancient scorpion fossil found in Chaoyang City of Liaoning Province. (Handout from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology/Xinhua News Agency)

A team led by researcher Huang Diying from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences has found an ancient scorpion fossil dating back approximately 125 million years.

The fossil, named Jeholia longchengi after its discovery site in the Jehol Biota of Longcheng District in Chaoyang City, Northeast China’s Liaoning Province, is the first Mesozoic scorpion fossil unearthed in the country.

Illustration of a scorpion from the Early Cretaceous period. (Sun Jie/Xinhua News Agency)

Huang explained that the scorpion lived during the Early Cretaceous period and the Jehol Biota preserved numerous fossils, including feathered dinosaurs, early birds and plant fossils, and is regarded as one of the most important paleontological discoveries of the 20th century.

Measuring around 10 centimeters in length, the species is believed to have been a secondary or tertiary consumer in the Jehol Biota food web and features long legs and an elongated venomous stinger.

“Only three scorpion fossils have previously been found in China. This discovery will contribute to the understanding of biodiversity of the Mesozoic era, and will help reconstruct the ecosystem of that time,” Huang added.