today's trivia
What family of animals first appeared around 480 million years ago and is the only survivor of xiphosurans?
27 Replies
3mo
Horseshoe crabs (limulidae) are not crabs at all. They are more closely related to spiders than to crabs, but they have been around for a very long time and are called “living fossils”.
(In response to this post by RhinoVT)
3mo
(In response to this post by lilhokie525)
3mo
(In response to this post by lilhokie525)
3mo
hint. My kids used to get hermit crabs every time we went to Virginia Beach when they were young.
(In response to this post by RhinoVT)
3mo
at all.
(In response to this post by RhinoVT)
3mo
The family is Limulidae. Fun fact, compared to species we know of from modern times, they're most closely related to ticks.
(In response to this post by lilhokie525)
3mo
If you have walked the beach at Virginia Beach, you have probably stepped over or around one of these.
(In response to this post by lilhokie525)
3mo
are even older than are the ones we are looking for here.
(In response to this post by vthhhi)
3mo
I honestly had no idea, so I looked it up. Those are definitely leftovers from some Lovecraftian horror.
(In response to this post by lilhokie525)
3mo
I should know this, I love all those youtube eons things.
(In response to this post by lilhokie525)
V
Va AandM
3mo
** Edited by Va AandM at 4/21/2026, 7:54:43 AM
(In response to this post by lilhokie525)
