Monster Spider Fossil Unearthed

A 15cm nightmare covered in hair and packed with venom has been discovered in Inner Mongolia! Fortunately for anyone with a fear of spiders, it’s long dead. In fact, this not so cuddly chap (or chapess) died out around 35 million years. Even if this wee beastie were still alive you probably won’t run into it unless you live in the tropical or sub-tropical regions of planet Earth. Breathe a sigh of relief, unroll the newspaper and take a seat.

The specimen, a distant ancestor of the present day Golden Orb Weaver, dates back to the Jurassic period and was found encased in fossilised volcanic ash. Whilst not the biggest archnid ever seen (the goliath birdeater tarantula of South America takes that crown) this relative of the Orb Weaver was certainly a formidable monster. The 15cm legs carried a comaparitively small body but the environment of the time would have meant there were plenty of perils some of which could be offset by sheer size.

Scientists aren’t entirely sure how our eight-legged friend met her end (yep, it’s a lady spider) but its demise may have been a result of a natural disaster rather than under the heel of a slipper.

Quick facts about Nephila spiders (her descendants):

• Nephila females cany weave orb up to 1.5m in diameter.
• Females are far larger than the male of the species
• Feed on small insects and organisms trapped in their web
• Mainly nocturnal
• First defense is to run away rather than bite (which is good news)

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