If you think Australian spiders are scary, wait until you see the prehistoric version.
Scientists have discovered the fossil of a giant trapdoor spider in New South Wales, and it is the fourth specimen of its kind to be found in Australia.
The creature roams and hunts in surrounding areas that were once dense rainforest, researchers said in a recent report.
Last year, scientists discovered a fossilized area of rainforest millions of years ago, which was full of specimens including plants, magical spiders, giant crickets and wasps.
The area is now a grassy area known as McGraths Flat.
The researchers named the spider fossil “Megamonodontium mccluskyi.” It most likely lived during the Miocene epoch, 11 to 16 million years ago.
“Only four spider fossils have been found across the continent, making it difficult for scientists to understand their evolutionary history,” said paleontologist Matthew McCurry from the University of New South Wales and the Australian Museum.
“That’s why this discovery is so important because it reveals new information about spider extinction and fills a gap in our understanding of the past.
“The closest relatives of these fossils now live in the humid forests of Singapore and even Papua New Guinea.
“This suggests that this group lived in a similar environment on the Australian mainland, but then became extinct as Australia became drier.”
This spider was found among many other Miocene fossils. In some of them, the fossils are well preserved, allowing the formation of subcellular structures.
“Electron microscopy allowed us to study the fine details of the claws and hairs on the spider’s feet, legs and main body,” said virologist Michael Freese from the University of Canberra.
The details mean scientists can confidently place it near the modern Monodontium, or trapdoor spider.
However, it was five times larger than its modern relative. The body length of Megamonodontium mccluskyi is 23.31 mm, or just over an inch.
Different types of modern trapdoor spidersMatthew R. McCurry, Michael Freese, Robert Raven
The report adds that the discovery of this species also tells us about Australia’s past climate.
The fact that it is found in rainforest sedimentary layers means that the region was once wetter than it is now.
This, in turn, could help scientists understand how climate warming has changed the country’s way of life – and how it could change it again.
“Not only is it the largest spider fossil ever found in Australia, it is also the first fossil from the Barychelidae family to be found anywhere in the world,” said arachnologist Robert Raven from the Queensland Museum.
“There are around 300 species of brush-footed spiders alive today, but they seem to rarely fossilize.
“This may be because they spent so much time in burrows that they weren’t in the right environment to fossilize.”
The results are published in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.
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2023-09-29 12:28:31
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