Advanced Imaging Technology Reveals Stunning 3D Images of 49-Million-Year-Old Amber-Encased Spider

Using the most advanced imaging technology, European scientists have captured astonishing three-dimensional images of a 49-million-year-old fossilized spider trapped in amber.

Researchers at The University of Manchester and their colleagues in Germany obtained intricate images (only observable under a microscope) by employing X-ray imaging techniques to study an unusual spider species.

In a paper published in the international journal Naturwissenschaften, the scientists reveal that the amber-encased fossil (currently housed at the Berlin Natural History Museum) belongs to the Huntsman spider family (scientific name: Sparassidae) that exists today. This is a large group of active, free-living spiders that are rarely found trapped in amber.

According to the scientists, amber specimens can be in very poor condition upon retrieval, but they still provide significant data if examined using carefully calibrated X-ray imaging techniques.

“More than 1,000 fossilized spider specimens have been described, many of which were extracted from amber,” said Dr. David Penney from The University of Manchester. “The best source currently is Baltic amber from 49 million years ago, which has been studied for over 150 years.”

Previously, the biggest challenge in describing ancient spider fossils was that the old pieces of amber reacted with oxygen over time, causing them to darken or crack, making it very difficult to observe the spider specimens inside.

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