Giant Fossil Spider Unveils Lost Rainforest of Australia
A newly discovered fossil of a giant trapdoor spider, estimated to be around 11 to 16 million years old, reveals an ancestor of the modern brush-footed trapdoor spider that was four times larger in size. The fossil, named Megamonodontium mccluskyi, has a body size of approximately 23.31 millimeters and provides valuable insights into the evolution and extinction of ancient giant trapdoor spiders. This discovery fills a gap in our understanding of these spiders' past and highlights the challenges of fossilizing spiders.