Fossil spiders! : Pharyngula

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PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
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« Carnivalia, and an open thread | Main | Must be the Pharynguloid Air Force... »

Fossil spiders!

Category: Fossils • Organisms
Posted on: July 29, 2006 12:06 PM, by PZ Myers

Muton has some splendid photos of fossil spiders.

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Comments

Posted by: garth | July 29, 2006 1:11 PM

i have mygalomorphs living in my room right now. those big, powerful spiders are a thing of beauty.
H. lividum is a particularly beautiful creature amongst many.

Posted by: garth | July 29, 2006 1:15 PM

also, check out the solfugids, the infamous "camel spiders". tip: they do not get bigger than 6". they are not poisonous. they cannot jump.
they are amazing animals though.

Posted by: Daryl McCullough | July 29, 2006 1:30 PM

I recently heard a hypothesis (I have no idea whether there is any basis for it or not) that spiders (or some 8-legged ancestor of spiders) evolved before 6-legged insects. The wings of insects are (according to this hypothesis) a mutation of two of the legs of the pre-spider, leaving 6 legs.

Does anybody know whether this is generally accepted or not?

Posted by: JohnnieCanuck | July 29, 2006 3:07 PM

The part I liked was, "thus this occurrence extends the family record by some 90 myr". What a thrill for Selden et al.

My education here is continuing apace. 'Lagerstätten' is now part of my reading vocabulary.

Thank you PZ.

Posted by: j | July 29, 2006 3:08 PM

Ewww.

I don't like spiders.

Posted by: Space Parasite | July 29, 2006 7:20 PM

Daryl -- insect wings are probably repurposed gills. Check down a few entries in this very blog for some more information.

Posted by: Loren Petrich | July 30, 2006 7:29 AM

That's certainly an interesting idea, insects evolving from arachnids, but there's good reason to think otherwise, that insects are instead most closely related to crustaceans.

Insect segments:

1: H1: Eyes
2: H2: Antennae
3: H3: none (crustaceans: second pair of antennae)
4: H4: Mandibles (mouthparts)
5: H5: Maxillae (mouthparts)
6: H6: Labium (mouthpart)
7: T1: Legs, wings in very early insects
8: T2: Legs, wings
9: T3: Legs, wings
10: A1: none (crustaceans may have additional pairs of legs)

Arachnid segments:

1: H1: Eyes
2: H2: Chelicerae (fangs)
3: H3: Pedipalps ("arms")
4: H4: Legs
5: H5: Legs
6: H6: Legs
7: H7: Legs
8: A1: none

H = head / prosoma
T = thorax
A = abdomen / opisthosoma

So spiders walk with limbs that insects eat with.

Posted by: Bob Dowling | July 31, 2006 7:11 AM

That's not a fossil spider! This is a fossil spider!

(I can't find photos of the fossil cast itself. I'll have to hunt down some postcards at the museum.)

Posted by: garth | July 31, 2006 1:07 PM

probably too late for anyone to read this, but hereis Megarachne, the monster fossil spider.
Isn't there a limit on the size land-based invertebrates can reach? what about land-based invertebrates that molt in the sea? that could make for some big bastards.

#10

Posted by: tahlia | December 3, 2007 2:03 AM

i love spiders

#11

Posted by: kirsty | December 12, 2007 3:50 PM

oh i say

#12

Posted by: kirsty | December 12, 2007 3:57 PM

lookin at these spiders makes me even scared than what i was so why show them. the people out thare that has a phoia of them and you still show them WOW there spiders you dont see them puting pictures of you all over the computer so why do it. i just dont no why people think that they have the right to do something like that at the end of the day some might bite because people are winding them up takeing pictures i dont see many people takin pictures of ants etc....... WHY DO IT .ITS WRONG IN MY EYES............

#13

Posted by: james | December 12, 2007 3:58 PM

i don't like spiders but i do like turtles so i am happy with a turtle any day

#14

Posted by: shannon mclimore | February 22, 2008 3:40 AM

thats just the way roll!!

#15

Posted by: shannon mclimore | February 22, 2008 3:40 AM

thats just the way roll!!

#16

Posted by: Stacie | March 20, 2008 5:09 PM

I hate spiders! Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! They are so gross how could you like them?