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Biggest Spider Fossil Ever Found

Posted April 21, 2011 9:32 AM

From Wired Discoveries:

Scientists have unearthed the largest spider fossil ever found. The spider, a new species called Nephila jurassica, stretches about two inches from end to end. It was found in a fossil-rich rock formation near Daohugou village in northeastern China. The fossil dates back to the Middle Jurassic, about 165 million years ago, researchers reported in the April 20 Biology Letters.

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mrclean
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#1

Re: Biggest Spider Fossil Ever Found

04/21/2011 1:48 PM

Man, two inches doesn't sound very large.

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Doorman
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#2
In reply to #1

Re: Biggest Spider Fossil Ever Found

04/21/2011 2:28 PM

Two inches is the body length, she has a 6" legspan. You have to drill down sort of far to get that clarification. I found it here.

So, a six inch round spider... Yeesh!

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mrclean
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#3
In reply to #2

Re: Biggest Spider Fossil Ever Found

04/21/2011 2:34 PM

I didn't read that much of it. Spiders give me the creeps, I have arachnophobia pretty bad, so even a two inch spider is too big for me.

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Sleepy
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#16
In reply to #2

Re: Biggest Spider Fossil Ever Found

04/25/2011 9:11 AM

Doorman,

I was so dissapointed when the page did not show up!!

Can you just drop a link to it please.

Sleepy
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Doorman
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#17
In reply to #16

Re: Biggest Spider Fossil Ever Found

04/25/2011 9:18 AM

Hmmmnm. That's odd. It works from here.

http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2011/04/16/rsbl.2011.0228.full.pdf+html

Here is the entire link. Hope it works for you. It is a scientific paper (from UK) regarding the discovery.

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Sleepy
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#18
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Re: Biggest Spider Fossil Ever Found

04/25/2011 5:34 PM

Doorman

Thanks, it worked that time.

Many Thanks

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#4

Re: Biggest Spider Fossil Ever Found

04/21/2011 11:43 PM

How about this?

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Doorman
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#5
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Re: Biggest Spider Fossil Ever Found

04/22/2011 11:42 AM

So, a TWELVE inch round spider... Yikes!

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Smoothy
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#6
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Re: Biggest Spider Fossil Ever Found

04/22/2011 1:17 PM

Well, if I ever needed a reason to not go to LAOS....that's a good one all by itself.

I'd soil my shorts if I ran into a spider anywhere near that big.
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~Anon~
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#7

Re: Biggest Spider Fossil Ever Found

04/22/2011 1:29 PM

This is the biggest spider I have ever encountered. The wikipedia article downplays just how much they freak people out. More pictures...wow.

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Smoothy
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#8
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Re: Biggest Spider Fossil Ever Found

04/22/2011 1:44 PM

Wolf spiders freak me out and most of them I come across are barely an inch across. I'd probibly have to burn my pants and underwear on the spot and probibly would scream like a girl if I ran into any of those big ones close up. WITHOUT a glass divider wall.
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Doorman
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#9
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Re: Biggest Spider Fossil Ever Found

04/22/2011 2:06 PM

The phrase "...screaming like a little girl..." reminded me I had a thread not long ago about a spider house guest I had. There are several members who piped in and said the same thing!

Welcome to our little chat room Smoothy.

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Smoothy
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#13
In reply to #9

Re: Biggest Spider Fossil Ever Found

04/22/2011 2:18 PM

Consider the fact I'm a 49 year old MAN that's 5' 11" and 230 lbs.....sheds some light on things.
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mrclean
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#15
In reply to #9

Re: Biggest Spider Fossil Ever Found

04/25/2011 7:59 AM

I know I was one of them. Good thread.

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JBTardis
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#10

Re: Biggest Spider Fossil Ever Found

04/22/2011 2:06 PM

This week one of my colleagues found this scorpion in our engineering kitchen.

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Doorman
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#11
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Re: Biggest Spider Fossil Ever Found

04/22/2011 2:08 PM

"...in our engineering kitchen"? How do you cook an engineer?

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JBTardis
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#12
In reply to #11

Re: Biggest Spider Fossil Ever Found

04/22/2011 2:13 PM

How do you cook an engineer?

Generally the marketing guys 'steam' the engineers by selling products that haven't been developed yet.

Engineering kitchen as opposed to other kitchen areas in our facility. It's located in the engineering portion of the 2nd floor. It has a fridge, sink, microwave ovens and of course 3 or 4 coffee makers.

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Sleepy
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#14
In reply to #10

Re: Biggest Spider Fossil Ever Found

04/23/2011 4:37 PM

Scorpions,

the smaller they are the more dangerous is what I have heard - but I know nothing!

My guys in the Middle east were always catching the large ones and keeping them in the water tanks that were the storage tanks for the equipment cooling systems.

I had to visit each one and comment on it! Almost as though I was judging beauty contest!

Sleepy
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Doorman (5); JBTardis (2); mrclean (3); Sleepy (3); Smoothy (3); Tornado (1); ~Anon~ (1)

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