Discovered an unprecedented large spider fossil

Scientists say they have discovered a large fossil spider never seen in China's Inner Mongolia region.

This is a spider about 160 million years ago, belonging to a spider with a very complex yellow weave. This spider weaves nets from yellow fibers that are very tough and clear.

Big spider fossils have never been seen. (Source: Wired.com ).

Burning legs of fossil specimens over 5cm long. The researchers placed this fossil spider into the Nephila group. At present, Nephila types still exist in tropical and subtropical regions.

Speaking to BBS news agency, Professor Paul Selden of Kasas University in the US said: 'This is the largest fossil spider ever. This spider's body is not the biggest, but if you add long legs, this is the biggest spider . '

Before the discovery of this fossil, the oldest specimen in this group of spiders only showed that they existed at 35 million years of age. Therefore, this new fossil pushed the existence of the type of Nephila back to the Jurassic period and became the longest surviving spider.

This spider is buried in volcanic ash at the bottom of an area that could have been a lake before. Professor Selden explains: ' You not only see the hair on its legs, but also the tiny things that are often used to detect air movement. This is their very own feature . '