Arthropleura fossil map
Where fossils of Arthropleura have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 300 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 300 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Giant insects & arthropods |
|---|---|
| Lived | 346.7–290.1 million years ago (Visean to Sakmarian) |
| Periods | Carboniferous, Permian |
| Family | Arthropleuridae |
| Named by | (Jordan 1854) |
| Fossil records | 61 occurrences at 46 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Germany, France, Belgium, UK, Spain, United States, Italy, Ukraine |
| Rock formations | txn:238290, Lower Saarbrucker layer, Upper Saarbrucker layer, Farrington, Wettin, Foel |
About Arthropleura
Arthropleura, from Ancient Greek ἄρθρον (árthron), meaning "joint", and πλευρά (pleurá), meaning "rib", is an extinct genus of massive myriapod that lived in modern-day Europe and North America around 344 to 292 million years ago, from the Viséan stage of the lower Carboniferous period to the Sakmarian stage of the lower Permian period. It was a millipede, and was capable of reaching at least 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) in length, possibly up to over 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in), making it the largest known land arthropod of all time. Arthropleura is known from body fossils as well as trace fossils, particularly giant trackways up to 50 centimetres (20 in) wide, and potentially also large burrows. It lived in open, sparsely wooded environments near water, and may have been amphibious.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Arthropleura (revision 1373001873), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in.
