China’s Biggest, Oldest Spider

Stumbled upon this and thought I'd share it here!

The discovery of the arachnid buried in ancient volcanic ash in Inner Mongolia, China, is important because it makes this particular spider fossil named Nephila jurassica the oldest known species of the largest web-weaving spiders on the earth today, the golden orb weavers, with one exception. Today’s golden orb versions are mild in comparison to this 165-million-year-old, 15 cm long (almost six inches) arachnid that was terrifying in its heydey and big enough to prey upon birds and bats. The species is known to use silk that shines like gold in the light of the sun.

Source

Apparently this spider was roaming around in the Jurassic period. I think its really cool how a lot of creatures have been evolving for so long and have outlived a lot of supposedly stronger creatures. No wonder sharks and crocodiles are such amazing killing machines when they've had this much time to hone their skills!

This is a video about the modern day golden orb spider.

Dangit! I know better than to look at these types of posts!! Yes they are interesting, but now I'm going to have the heeby jeebies all day!

reply to post by TechUnique

I don't like spiders.
I'm willing to bet that bigger spiders roamed the earth.
Man eating spiders.
Interesting find.

I'm willing to bet my boots wouldn't be nearly effective enough.

I knew better to look too! There is nothing like a spider to give this old lady the creeps

This post was mathematical to me. I mean Spider + My eyes = SHIVER. Imagine that things web, it must have been pretty spectacular. Someone stated about sharks honing their skills over this many years a few posts up. That's the best statement I've read in months. S&F = Spiders & Fire lol

Whoa, really interesting. Imagine what this is capable of, imagine what kind of web may this thing make, imagine how big victims can eat.

Other cultures have found uses for cobwebs. Polynesian fishermen used the threads of the golden orb spider to make fishing line

It's funny this was posted because I remember seeing a show where these tribesman used this specific spiders web as not just fishing line.. but the "hook".. that is how strong it's sticking power was.

This thread got me thinking......which is dangerous by the way

We have had reptile dominance - Dino's
We are now dominent - Mammals

Whats left...... The insect / arachnids

That thing looks like it could eat my cocker spaniel. The world was a scary place during the Jurassic period.

Ugh, when I see a spider like that, I lose every bit of testosterone and become a shreiking 8 year old girl!

I cant stand them. I know they are a necessary part of our biodiversity but damn, why do they have to be so creepy!?

reply to post by Lucifer84


Actually, we have always probably in truth had bacterial dominance. Or viral, or something else of that nature. We just think in terms of big.

[color=deepskyblue]One word:

Ew.

Check out the giant centipede, it is huge, it can eat a mouse.
There are videos on YouTube of it being fed a mouse.

Originally posted by Lucifer84
This thread got me thinking......which is dangerous by the way

We have had reptile dominance - Dino's
We are now dominent - Mammals

Whats left...... The insect / arachnids

In the early days of evolution, the invertibrates (arachnids/squids/etc) were vastly superior in size and quantity in the ocean but then we gained the advantage when we stumbled onto land. The invertibrates never really adapted to surface life like us, which would include size, survival ability, ability to eat vegitation or kill and eat other creatures, etc.

So stay out of the ocean, I guess

I hope no one is surprised!

Who else is going to eat all of those massive gigantic dragonflies etc in the prehistoric age??

Originally posted by Mercurio
Check out the giant centipede, it is huge, it can eat a mouse.
There are videos on YouTube of it being fed a mouse.

Giant centipedes can be extremely dangerous.

I have heard stories of them eating things far larger than a mouse.

I bet if we browsed google a bit we could find confirmation and possibly video of something like that.

Now we just need to strap freakin' laser guns to their heads. Take over the world one spider at a time.

reply to post by TechUnique


I don't get it because this site shows that the largest is well over 6in.

venomous-spiders.nanders.dk...

I guess they're not measuring the same, i.e., including legs or not.

im am so freakin scared of spiders. i dont know why, but i am just terrified when it comes to spiders.

the other day there was a spider above my front door, i had to call my sister on her cell phone to come out and take care of it for me.