Extinct Spiders Had Frightening Claws | Spider Control

When it comes to finding the fossilized remains of a now-extinct spider, you may think that such a discovery is nothing special. After all, even modern spiders have been roaming the earth for a very long time, and spiders are already freakish looking as it is, so how much stranger could an extinct spider look when compared to a modern spider? The answer would seem to be, well, very different. For one thing, a recent fossil discovery showed an ancient spider with claws. I doubt you can name any spiders that possess claws.

So if you think modern spiders are scary then be thankful that you were not living millions of years ago. Back then, spiders would be more than just a mere and occasional nuisance. These ancient spiders would claw your face off, probably not though. This newly discovered fossilized spider was believed to be primarily a marine animal with claws protruding from its head. Even though this description is not reminiscent of modern spiders, entomologists still insist that this extinct creature was related to spiders and scorpions.

This fossil was discovered in southern China, and it has many experts excited because the spider is five hundred and twenty million years old. The incredibly old fossil has many experts theorizing about the habits and physical features of the ancient creature and its possible spider descendants. The fossilized creature is one inch long, and it had only two pairs of eyes. Experts believe that this ancient bug crawled or swam in the ocean.

In an unbelievable achievement in scientific excellence, researchers were able to construct the nervous system of the now-extinct creature. This visual reconstruction is allowing researchers from many disciplines to speculate as to how this creature’s ancestors branched off. This creature is so old that it may even point to the existence of animals that are not even arthropods.

What other features of the above described creature seem insect-like?