Trapped In Gum-stone
Face of 49-million-year-old spider
Fossil Huntsman spider, Eusprassus crassipes, preserved in amber
A very old spider has shown its face to the world for the first time in 49 million years, as scientists used high-tech X-ray methods to peer through the shroud of amber encasing the fossilized arachnid. The report, published online April 28 in the journal Naturwissenschaften, confirms that theancient spider is a member of the genus Eusparassus. These arachnids, also known as Huntsman spiders, live in the tropics and in Southern Europe today. From leg to leg, they can grow to a size of almost a foot (0.3 meters). Huntsman spiders are non-aggressive and non-toxic to humans, but they can deliver a painful bite.
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