A giant 14-legged armoured sea creature has emerged from the site where the asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs occurred.
The deep sea woodlouse, which is a new species and 25 times bigger than its cousin, was discovered in the Gulf of Mexico.
Measuring more than 10 inches long, the isopad was found living more than 2,500 feet beneath the waves off the Yucatan Peninsula – in an underwater crater created 66 million years ago.
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The bizarre animal, named Bathonymus yucatanensis, has a distinctive creamy-yellow shell – and is an example of ocean gigantism.
Some creatures that dwell in the deep tend to grow much bigger than their relatives in shallower waters or on land.
Most isopods measure less than 10 mm (0.4 in) in length, however the 20 species in the 'supergiant' Bathynomus genus grow to be more than 30 times larger.
The mysterious and primitive group that inhabits the benthic zone – the ocean's deepest reaches, rarely explored in person.
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Their cousins range from crabs, shrimps and lobsters to woodlice, pillbugs and roly polys – which feed on decaying matter and are familiar to anyone who has lifted up a rock or dug around in the garden.
They look quite similar – but for their extraordinary size, with the largest reaching 1ft 8inches.
However, despite their intimidating looks, they are completely harmless to humans.
Their strange features and unusual dimensions have spawned endless memes and a range of products celebrating their endearing weirdness – from plush toys to phone cases.
B. yucatanensis brings the total of known species of Bathonymus in the Gulf of Mexico to three.
It was initially thought to be a variation of B. giganteus – one of the largest found in 1879.
But closer examination of the specimen revealed an array of unique features. It was captured in a baited trap in 2017.
Lead author Dr Ming-Chih Huang, of the National University of Tainan, Taiwan, said: "Compared to B. giganteus, B. yucatanensis has more slender body proportions and is shorter in total length – and the pereopods or thoracic limbs are more slender."
It also has longer antennae. The two species have the same number of tail end spines called pleotelson.
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