JOURNAL ARTICLE

ANCIENT SPIDER KIN HAD CLAWS OUT.

  • Published In: Science News, 2026, v. 208, n. 6. P. 8 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Metcalfe, Tom 3 of 3

Abstract

The article focuses on the discovery of a well-preserved fossil of Megachelicerax cousteaui, an early relative of spiders and scorpions, dating back about 500 million years. This fossil provides the oldest clear evidence of chelicerae—specialized front claws that evolved into spiders' fangs and scorpions' feeding tools—supporting the idea that these appendages originated from grasping limbs rather than sensory antennae. The detailed preservation of both the top and underside of the animal allowed researchers to reconstruct its anatomy, indicating it likely used its claws to prey on primitive worms on the seafloor. This finding helps clarify the evolutionary origins of key arthropod features. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Science News. 2026/06, Vol. 208, Issue 6, p8
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Biology
  • Publication Date:2026
  • ISSN:0036-8423
  • Accession Number:193559679
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