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| A spider trapped in tree resin and died. |
A scientist has discovered and identified a spider trapped in amber from 20 million years ago.
Paleontologist David Penney at the University of Manchester, UK, found a fossil measuring 4 cm long and 2 cm wide during a visit to a museum in the Dominican Republic.
From there, he utilized drops of blood found in the amber to determine the age of the specimen. This marks the first instance of spider blood being discovered in amber, and scientists hope to extract its DNA.
Dr. Penney stated that he used the blood drops to ascertain when, where, and how the spider died.
This spider belongs to a new species within the Filistatidae family, commonly found in South Africa and the Caribbean. Penney believes it climbed a tree 20 million years ago and was struck by a drop of resin, causing it to be engulfed in the resin and ultimately die.
“It is astonishing to see that a piece of amber with a spider can reveal information about what happened 20 million years ago. By analyzing the position of the spider’s body in relation to the blood drop in the amber, we can determine how the creature died, its movement path, and even its speed of movement.”
M.T. (according to BBC)
