Scientists Just Found a New Fossil That Reveals Spiders Once Had Tails, And They Might Still Be Out There
The Daily Galaxy••science
Key Points:
- A 100-million-year-old spider fossil named Chimerarachne yingi, preserved in Burmese amber, reveals a transitional species with both modern spider spinnerets and a long tail, challenging previous assumptions about spider evolution.
- The fossil provides rare physical evidence that early spider ancestors had tails, a feature previously hypothesized but not confirmed until now, bridging the gap between ancient arachnids and true spiders.
- Despite having spinnerets, Chimerarachne yingi likely did not spin webs, suggesting web-building evolved later after the loss of the tail; the silk may have been used for other purposes like lining burrows or egg sacs.
- The exceptional preservation in amber allowed scientists to study minute anatomical details, confirming the fossil’s unique
