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[Gaborn]

The largest fossil spider uncovered to date once ensnared prey back in the age of dinosaurs, scientists find.

The spider, named Nephila jurassica, was discovered buried in ancient volcanic ash in Inner Mongolia, China. Tufts of hairlike fibers seen on its legs showed this 165-million-year-old arachnid to be the oldest known species of the largest web-weaving spiders alive today — the golden orb-weavers, or Nephila, which are big enough to catch birds and bats, and use silk that shines like gold in the sunlight.

The fossil was about as large as its modern relatives, with a body one inch (2.5 centimeters) wide and legs that reach up to 2.5 inches (6.3 cm) long. Golden orb-weavers nowadays are mainly tropical creatures, so the ancient environment of Nephila jurassica probably was similarly lush. [Image of fossil spider]

"It would have lived, like today's Nephila, in its orb web of golden silk in a clearing in a forest, or more likely at the edge of a forest close to the lake," researcher Paul Selden, director of the Paleontological Institute at the University of Kansas, told LiveScience.

"There would have been volcanoes nearby producing the ash that forms the lake sediment it is entombed within."

Spiders are the most numerous predators on land today, and help keep insect numbers in check. So these findings help us "understand the evolution of the insect-spider predator-prey relationship," Selden said, suggesting that golden orb-weavers have been ensnaring insects and influencing their evolution since the Jurassic Period.

"There were many large or medium-sized flying insects around at that time on which it would have fed indiscriminately," Selden said.

In modern golden orb-weaver species, females are typically much larger than males. This new fossil was a female, suggesting this trend stretches back at least as far as the Middle Jurassic, Selden said — that is, back before the first known bird, Archaeopteryx, or giant dinosaurs such as Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus.

Although this is the largest fossil spider known to date, it is not the oldest. Two species from Coseley, England, Eocteniza silvicola and Protocteniza britannica, both come from about 310 million years ago.

Selden and his colleagues are now investigating other fossil spiders from China, "as well as those from elsewhere in the world — currently Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, Italy and Korea," he said.

The scientists detail their findings online April 20 in the journal Biology Letters.

Story Here

 

[Kraftwerk]

SPIDER THREAD

SPIDER-GAF GOGOGOGOGOGO

 

[Cranzor]

Very cool that it was a banana spider. They make really beautiful webs.


I still hate spiders.

edit: Here's a picture of the golden silk orb-weaver, commonly referred to as a banana spider

 

[Degen]

so it's regular-sized? boooo

 

[Satch]

The modern Nephila, for reference.

It's actually a very pretty spider.

I was expecting some kind of 5 foot hell-spider though. lol

 

[Moppet13]

Wasn't there another thread about this already?

 

[Kitsunebaby]

I was expecting some kind of 5 foot hell-spider though. lol

Same here. I'm actually a little disappointed.

 

[SolarPowered]

It's kind of crazy that they've managed to live this long without changing too much. They certainly found their niche in the natural world.

I'm also surprised by the fact that a picture of a spider from this family is posted regularly in spider threads(the spider eating the bird).

 

[Garcia]

Too many spider threads in one month. Yes, 2 are too many already. lol

 

[Apple Sauce]

Interesting but I was expecting it to be more like the enemy in a WRPG's starting area.

 

[Zekes!]

Same here. I'm actually a little disappointed.

I would've killed myself if it was that big

 

[Trevelyon]

 

[Sir Pant]

This is relevant to my interests....

 

[Ark]

Fuck this thread, seriously.

This is relevant to my interests....

What is this? O_O

 

[Satch]

Aw come on guys, spiders can be cute! I think this one likes us. :3

 

[Brazil]

I'm so out of here.

 

[dragonlife]

Spider-and-Wuss-GAF thread.

 

[Kyaw]

Aw come on guys, spiders can be cute! I think this one likes us. :3

I want one of these little cuties. Fuck everything else though.
I'm actually not scared of big hairy spiders, only deadly, small and quick ones.

 

[Edmond Dantès]

Love prehistory.

 

[Exclamation-One]

the golden orb-weavers, or Nephila, which are big enough to catch birds and bats, and use silk that shines like gold in the sunlight.

Can you imagine?

Hey guys, check this out; it's all shiny, it's like - oh god, IT'S COMING FOR ME SHITWHATISTHATWHATISTHAT AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH IT'S GOT MY ARM

D:

 

[Nemo]

Why is it always those goddamn details on spiders that scare me? Like what the fuck is that even on it's back?

 

[Unknown One]

The more spider threads the better. Spiders are awesome.

 

[Plywood]

No 5 foot hell spider? Lame.

 

[Devolution]

Thread made me think they found like a giant spider that ate dinosaurs or something. Which would be hilarious.

 

[CF_Fighter]

 

[Plywood]

Why is it always those goddamn details on spiders that scare me? Like what the fuck is that even on it's back?

It's children,

aren't they so kawaii uguu~ :-3

 

[Kraftwerk]

Hey guys, brought all my homies.

 

[Sir Pant]

 

[Devolution]

Aw come on guys, spiders can be cute! I think this one likes us. :3

They look awesome and cute with a macro lens but most of the time you're just gonna see them yourself as a black fuzzy thing hopping around.

 

[SpacedCadette]

I'm growing more and more desensitized to spider-GAF.

Though spiders still ruin my fucking day when I see them in person.

 

[drifter444]

Never change GAF.

 

[Blablurn]

KILL IT!

 

[Rorschach]

I'm growing more and more desensitized to spider-GAF.

GAFtherapy is working.

 

[Sew]

Hey guys, brought all my homies.

http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/8816/spiderbreeding.jpg

Trim those pubes, man.

 

[scar tissue]

ah, nephila, how i love thee

some people keep them in their living rooms, they're very sedentary creatures who will never move from their net as long as they're fed

someday, i'll have one too <3

 

[Raist]

 

[Trevelyon]

Sweet screams, bedtime-GAF:

 

[dankir]

They look awesome and cute with a macro lens but most of the time you're just gonna see them yourself as a black fuzzy thing hopping around.

Gorgeous

 

[Sir Pant]

Not a spider but a "camel spider"!

 

[sixteen-bit]

For some reason I was expecting something a little more Earth Defense Force esque.

 

[X26]

This is relevant to my interests....

CARRIER HAS ARRIVED

 

[SpacedCadette]

Not a spider but a "camel spider"!

*Scream*

 

[Satch]

Camel Spider looks like it has a bondage fetish

 

[Sir Pant]

Swedish made pincer enlarger

 

[Rpgmonkey]

For a second there I thought the first sentence said it ate dinosaurs.

 

[Slayer-33]

I'M ITCHY ALL OF THE SUDDEN FUCK THIS THREAD.

 

[Degen]

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_IjhhOfWPTdU/TbNmSJ9EpXI/AAAAAAAAAI4/RTbZ4buAkm4/Camel_Spider-2.jpg

Not a spider but a "camel spider"!

WHAT IN THE ALMIGHTY BLUE HELL

sldfkafj;kl

 

[Kraftwerk]

Sweet screams, bedtime-GAF:

Not a spider but a "camel spider"!

HOLY FUCK.

 

[soundscream]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[UltraMav]

Sweet screams, bedtime-GAF:

I am intensely arachnophobic in real life situations, but most of the time can handle spider-GAF with aplomb. This however, has given me an anxiety attack.