Douglassarachne acanthopoda: The Mysterious Spiny Arachnid of the Past
Douglassarachne acanthopoda, a 308-million-year-old spiny fossil, challenges the classification of ancient arachnids. Discovered in Mazon Creek, Illinois, it represents a crucial era in the history of arachnids.
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Published in
Nature
· 18 May 2024
The long and spiny individual we are about to present to you is Douglassarachne acanthopoda , but for convenience we will call him Doug. We're joking :) At first glance, you might think it's just a spider, but wait a minute! This fossilized specimen, although it shares many characteristics of modern arachnids, has traits so unique that paleontologists have trouble classifying it. Spiders and their ancestors have populated our planet for approximately 400 million years. If we traveled back in time to the Carboniferous and found ourselves in the coal forests of North America or Europe, we might recognize creatures similar to spiders...