Scientists now know what the head of the biggest bug to ever crawl the Earth looks like. Most fossils of the extinct creatures, which grew to nearly 9 feet long and more than 100 pounds, have no heads. But analyzing complete fossils of juveniles allowed researchers to develop a model of the beast’s head. The scientists reported Wednesday that it was a round bulb with two short bell-shaped antennae, two protruding eyes like a crab, and a small mouth adapted for grinding leaves and bark. The creatures, called Arthropleura, had features of modern-day centipedes and millipedes. Scientists now know what the head of the biggest bug to ever crawl the Earth looks like. Most fossils of the extinct creatures, which grew to nearly 9 feet long and more than 100 pounds, have no heads. But analyzing complete fossils of juveniles allowed researchers to develop a model of the beast’s head. The scientists reported Wednesday that it was a round bulb with two short bell-shaped antennae, two protruding eyes like a crab, and a small mouth adapted for grinding leaves and bark. The creatures, called Arthropleura, had features of modern-day centipedes and millipedes. AP Technology and Science
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