Ancient spiders yield 3D secrets

Ancient fossilized, spider-like species have been imaged in 3D using thousands of X-ray scans and imaging software.

The two species, Cryptomartus hindi and Eophrynus prestvicii, lived 300 million years ago but are closely related to modern spiders.

The 3D images show that C. hindi grasped at prey with its front legs and E. prestivicii had defensive spikes on its back.

The 3D images were obtained by using a computed tomography scanner - a device that can take X-ray images from many angles.

Some 3,000 images of each fossil were obtained, and a custom software package developed at Imperial College London was used to assemble the images into a single, detailed, 3D virtual model of the creatures.

The researchers suggest that the animal probably was an "ambush predator" like the modern-day crab spider, lying in wait for prey to come close.

Another finding from the models is that E. prestivicii had hard spikes along its back, probably as a defensive measure making it less palatable to the amphibians that would have hunted it.

Click on the below images to be taken the web page with videos of the 3D renderings:





Original articles here and here.