Oldest Spider Found in Germany Named after Discoverer

Scientists have recently identified a fossilized spider that existed 310 million years ago.

This ancient arachnid, known as Arthrolycosa wolterbeeki, is considered the oldest spider ever found in Germany.

The specimen was discovered in the Piesberg quarry near Osnabruck in Lower Saxony and was generously donated to the Berlin Museum by its discoverer, Tim Wolterbeek.

According to a research paper published in the journal Paläontologische Zeitschrift, the spider is estimated to have had a body length of about a centimeter and a leg span of about 4cm. The fossil is remarkably well-preserved, allowing for the observation of details such as spinnerets, hairs, and claws on the legs.

This spider fossil represents the first Palaeozoic spider discovered in Germany, with previous finds dating back to the Mesozoic era (Jurassic).

Spiders are a highly successful group of organisms, with over 51,000 known species worldwide, including about a thousand species in Germany alone.

Although spiders are now widespread and abundant, they were not as common over 300 million years ago.

The researchers suggest that spiders like Arthrolycosa wolterbeeki may have spent most of their lives in burrows, rarely venturing out and thus limiting their chances of being preserved as fossils.

The evolution of spiders into the diverse modern groups likely occurred later in the Mesozoic era, possibly in conjunction with the diversification of insects and the development of different types of webs to catch flying prey.

Spider fossils from this period are extremely rare, with only 12 Carboniferous species confidently identified worldwide. Previous discoveries have been made in France, the Czech Republic, Poland, and the USA.

MORE: Schoolboy terrified of spiders faces fear at his birthday party by holding creepy crawly

MORE: Man opens car door to find ‘at least 100’ huge spiders hatching

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.