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3D Images Reconstructed of 300M-Year-Old Spiders

Posted by Soulskill on from the things-that-i'm-glad-are-extinct dept.

Hugh Pickens writes "Scientists at Imperial College London have created detailed 3D computer models of two fossilized specimens of ancient creatures called Cryptomartus hindi and Eophrynus prestvicii, closely related to modern-day spiders. The researchers created their images by using a CT scanning device, which enabled them to take 3,000 X-rays of each fossil then compile them into precise 3D models, using custom-designed software. Both spiders roamed the Earth during the Carboniferous period, 359-299 million years ago, when life was emerging from the oceans to live on land. C. hindi's front pair of legs were angled toward the front, suggesting they were used to grapple with prey, an 'ambush predator' like the modern-day crab spider, lying in wait for prey to come close. 'Our models almost bring these ancient creatures back to life and it's really exciting to be able to look at them in such detail,' says researcher Russel Garwood, adding that the technique could be used to return to fossils that have previously been analyzed by conventional means. 'Our study helps build a picture of what was happening during this period early in the history of life on land.'"

13 of 88 comments (clear)

  1. But... by Abreu · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ...were they giant spiders?

    The article doesn't say!

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    1. Re:But... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Both Cryptomartus hindi and Eophrynus prestivicii were around the size of a 50 pence piece ... 27 mm

    2. Re:But... by smallshot · · Score: 3, Insightful
      From the article:

      "Both Cryptomartus hindi and Eophrynus prestivicii were around the size of a 50 pence piece and they roamed the Earth during the Carboniferous period, 359 - 299 million years ago. This was a time before the dinosaurs, when life was emerging from the oceans to live on land."

      At that age, I'm amazed they look so much like the spider I killed on my driveway the other day.

    3. Re:But... by LKM · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yes. Clearly, GP wasn't there when the spiders were actually alive. For all we know, they were kilometers in length and just shrunk due to being really old. I think that is the most likely explanation.

    4. Re:But... by CarpetShark · · Score: 5, Funny

      BUT! 3M years ago, 50 pence pieces were fucking huge!

    5. Re:But... by pluther · · Score: 2, Informative

      It's about 1.36x10^-14 the size of Alaska.

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    6. Re:But... by geekoid · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It does say. the size of a 50 pence piece. Now I have never seen a 50 pence piece, so I will assume they are the size of an SUV.

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    7. Re:But... by Spacelem · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Due to the exponential nature of inflation, say a meagre 5% per year, for 3x10^8 years, that's 1.05^(3x10^8)... and GNU Octave overflows.

      Okay, let's try something a bit smaller, say 0.0001% per year inflation. That's an increase of 1.942x10^130. That's around 10^50 times as many atoms as there are in the known universe. So your golden boulders are about 10^50 times as big as the universe. Yep, that's pretty huge.

      Let's go really small, say 0.000001% per year inflation. That's better, they've only increased to 20 times the size.

      Still, the amount of economic growth that was going on in the first 200 million years probably wasn't that big. But let's say it remained constant until the year 1 CE. That's 2000 years of interest at 5%, and we're up to 10^40 times the size again.

      At this point I start freaking out that the whole conversation was about spiders!

  2. That's no spider by oskard · · Score: 3, Funny

    That's a headcrab!

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  3. The imaging protocol is no soo special ... by gerddie · · Score: 4, Informative

    The spiders have the size of a 50 pence piece, which means they are below 3cm large. I'd say they where using a standard micro CT scanner, depending on the protocol that gives you about these 3000 projections. The software to reconstruct 3D volume data from the projections usually comes with the scanner, and going from volume data to a real model has been done for ages. Of course you can write your own reconstruction software, but that's just one amongst many.
    Actually having a fossil that old to begin with, well that's another story.

  4. Re:Hay by Tablizer · · Score: 3, Funny

    Too much X-rays will give cancer to these poors fossils.

    Or make them mutate into land-walking, nuke-making, fish with hair.
           

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  5. Blasphemy! by AP31R0N · · Score: 4, Funny

    The Earth is only 6000 years old. Clearly this "fossil" is the work of the Devil.

    Either that, to Adam had to squish these for Eve (and his other two rarely mentioned wives).

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    1. Re:Blasphemy! by Daniel+Dvorkin · · Score: 2, Insightful

      now science points towards us living in a simulated universe

      Huh?

      AFAICT, the "simulated universe" is a fun idea to play with, but there's no evidence for it (if you have real citations to the contrary, as opposed to uninformed pop-sci speculation, I'll be glad to see it.) Now, it is true that we are increasingly able to simulate certain aspects of the universe with impressive accuracy ... which probably has to do with the fact that that's what we're trying to do when we create simulations. Being products of the universe in which we live, it's not too surprising that our simulations tend toward the nature of that universe.

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