Petrified spider can shine eyes even after millions of years

When archaeologists report finding remainsany animal, we usually talk about fossil bones. However, researchers also manage to detect the bodies of ancient insects, and most often they are found inside amber. This news is a rare exception, as a team of scientists from the University of Kansas discovered the petrified body of an ancient spider, which, apparently, 110 million years ago sank under water. An unusual death helped him retain the interesting ability of his eyes to this day.

It is about their ability to reflect the light thathelped predator hunt in the dark. He belonged to the species Lagonomegopidae, and in his huge eyes there was a choroid called tapetum. Reflecting the light, she helped the spider see prey - the same feature, by the way, ordinary domestic cats also possess.

The fossil was found in South Korea, namelyin the city of Jinju. The team of researchers believes that the ability of the eyes to reflect light has been preserved due to the special storage conditions of the body. If the spider was kept in amber, the tapetum of its eyes would be destroyed by various bacteria. Most likely, the spider is simply confused in the algae and drowned in the pond. Due to the lack of oxygen, it turned into a fossil, which is why it is so well preserved.

Some fossils make scientists seriouslyto think about. For example, in 2018, researchers from universities in different countries could not identify the remains of a mysterious creature, 1.5 billion years old. He belongs to a little studied group of animals called Chancelloriidae, but scientists have no idea which branch of the tree of life to write him.

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