1.5 crore year old trapdoor spider fossil found in Australia 5 times bigger than today spiders
Dr. Matthew McCurry, a paleontologist at the University of New South Wales, has examined this discovery. He has shared this information on social media platform 'X'. The study has been published in the Zoological Journal.
The study says that the spider fossil was found in McGraths, New South Wales. The rocks found here contain good amount of iron. It is reported that the discovered fossil is 5 times larger than the existing species. There are approximately 300 species of brush-footed trapdoor spiders alive today. These spiders stay in their holes most of the time.
Scientists say that this discovery is important because it will provide information about the extinction of big spiders. So far, 4 fossils of big spiders have been found in Australia. This means that a good number of them must have been in that area millions of years ago.
It has also been told in the study that the closest species of this spider was found in the dense and water-rich forests of Singapore. It is estimated that it may have become extinct in Australia due to the weather there, but was there any other reason also? This may be unveiled in the coming days.
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