Fossil spiders to the delight of researchers (but not those suffering from arachnophobia): a group of paleontologists from the Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum of Kansas University (USA) have found 10 spiders "embedded" in the rocks. An exceptional discovery, as insects are notoriously devoid of bones or teeth.
Fossil spiders to the delight of researchers (but not those suffering from arachnophobia): a group of paleontologists from the Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum of Kansas University (USA) have found 10 spiders "embedded" in the rocks. An exceptional discovery, as these animals are notoriously devoid of bones or teeth.
Soft fossilized bodies: something extremely rare and therefore particularly fascinating. Having no rigid shells, they tend to decompose very easily. Probably then, paleontologists explain, they sunk in water, which kept them away from bacteria and kept them in a low-oxygen condition.
But not only: two of the fossils of the Lagonomegopidae family of extinct spiders appeared to have eyes suitable for night hunting, or with Tapetum lucidum, a reflective layer placed inside or immediately behind the retina of the eyes of many vertebrates (typically the cat, which in fact is notoriously endowed with an excellent night view).
And actually some modern spiders may also sport this structure, the researchers report, but this is the first time the anatomical feature has been described in an already rare fossilized spider.
"Spiders that show big eyes are those that jump, but their eyes are regular - explains Paul Selden, director of the Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum - while the" wolf spiders ", which act at night, have eyes that reflect light like cats. Nocturnal predators tend to use this different type of eye. And it is the first time that a tapetum lucidum has been found in the fossil, this one in the shape of a canoe […]. The discovery will help us to position this group of spiders in the other families ”.
Spiders have been found in shale, a medium to large-grained metamorphic rock, in South Korea's unique geography.
"That's all shale, and that area is particularly hilly - Selden continues - South Korea doesn't have much plain to build, and so hills are "cut" to create flat areas, where there are temporary excavations [...] That's where they found these fossils ". A practice, however, questionable.
Among other things, this rock seems to have preserved the reflective characteristic of the eyes. According to the researchers, in fact, this was lost in amber.
So everything came together perfectly (hills cut apart).
The work was published in the Journal of Systematic Paleontology.
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- Fossil remains of ancient giant bats discovered in New Zealand
Roberta de carolis
Photo: Kansas University
