Jakarta –
Australia has many interesting stories hidden beneath its arid surface. This continent has been home to a variety of living creatures and ecosystems that have changed over time.
One of the most interesting recent discoveries is a spider fossil that tells a unique story about Australia’s past. Quoted from the Phys page, scientists have uncovered the fossil of a giant Australian spider near the town of Gulgong, New South Wales, which was once a dense rainforest.
The discovery of this fossil is very special because it is the first spider fossil in the world from the family of large-legged spiders known as Barychelidae.
Quoted from the page USA TODAY, the spider fossil was discovered at a fossil site called McGraths Flat, located in the Central Tablelands, NSW. This site does store extraordinary quality fossils.
The team of scientists led by Matthew McCurry, a paleontologist at the University of New South Wales and the Australian Museum Research Institute who discovered the fossil officially gave it the name Megamonodontium mccluskyi. The species lived approximately 11 to 16 million years ago during the Miocene epoch.
McCurry said there were only a few spider fossils found in Australia so this discovery was very important.
“Only four spider fossils have ever been found on the entire continent, making it difficult for scientists to understand their evolutionary history,” said McCurry.
“That’s why this discovery is so important, revealing new information about spider extinction and filling gaps in our understanding of the past,” he added.
The discovery of the new genus of spiders has been published in the journal Zoological Journal of Linnean Society on September 15, 2023 with the title A large brush-footed trapdoor spider (Mygalomorphae: Barychelidae) from the Miocene of Australia.
The Uniqueness of the Giant Spider Fossil
According to Robert Raven, an arachnologist from the Queensland Museum, there are at least 300 types of brush-legged trapdoor spiders alive today, but they have left no trace fossils.
Professor Michael Frese from the University of Canberra also explained that this creature has hair-like structures on its body that can sense chemicals and can sense vibrations.
This ability helps spiders protect themselves from attacks and can also be used to make sounds. In addition, what makes this discovery even more interesting is the type of rock found in this fossil layer, called goethitewhich is rich in iron.
The preservation is also so detailed that researchers can clearly see small details on the spider’s body, even though it is larger than modern spiders. Monodontium which is similar.
Although Megamonodontium mccluskyi not too big with a body length of around 23.31 millimeters, this size is still impressive if you remember Monodontium usually smaller in size. The large size of this spider allows for the preservation of impressive details of its physical features.
The use of electron microscopes allows scientists to study small structures such as claws and setae in these spiders. Setae, hair-like structures in spiders, have a variety of functions, including the ability to sense chemicals, vibrations, protect the spider from attackers, and even make sounds.
Apart from that, this discovery also reveals the mystery of why brush-legged trapdoor spider fossils are so rare. “Not only is it the largest spider fossil found in Australia, but it is also the first fossil from the family Barychelidae found anywhere in the world,” Raven said.
Further investigation into this discovery will continue to help us understand Australia’s unique past and uncover more mysteries of this continent’s rich history.
Watch the video “Holy Residents Find Ancient Elephant Tusk Fossil”
(pal/pal)
2023-09-29 01:00:41
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