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Researchers unravel missing link in spider evolution
Thaindian News ^ | January 2nd, 2009

Posted on 01/01/2009 9:58:11 PM PST by nickcarraway

Researchers have unravelled an ancient missing link between today’s spiders and their long-extinct ancestors, and that may help explain how spiders came to weave webs. The research by scientists at the University of Kansas (KU) and Virginia’s Hampden-Sydney College focuses on fossil animals called Attercopus fimbriunguis. While modern spiders make silk threads with modified appendages called spinnerets, the fossil animals wove broad sheets of silk from spigots on plates attached to the underside of their bodies. Unlike spiders, they had long tails.

The research was led by Paul Selden, professor of invertebrate paleontology in the department of geology at KU, and William Shear, professor of biology at Hampden-Sydney College.

Selden and Shear discovered the fossils almost 20 years ago. At that time the specimens were thought to be the oldest spider fossils known, dating back to the Devonian Period, about 380 million years ago.

Unearthed in upstate New York, the fossils were among the first animals to live on land in North America.

New finds near the same location, in Gilboa, New York, caused the paleontologists to reinterpret their original findings. The new fossils included silk-spinning organs, called spigots, arranged on the edges of broad plates making up the undersides of the animals.

The researchers identified parts of a long, jointed tail not found in any previously known spider, but common among some of the spiders’ more primitive relatives, said a KU release.

“We think these ‘tailed spiders’ represent an entirely new kind of animal, not known before from living or fossil examples,” Shear said. “They were more primitive than spiders in many ways, and may be spider ancestors.” Besides having tails and spinning silk from broad plates, the animals also seem to lack poison glands.


TOPICS: Outdoors; Pets/Animals; Science
KEYWORDS: arachnophilia; devonian; evolution; gilboa; godsgravesglyphs; newyork; silk

1 posted on 01/01/2009 9:58:12 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

Now this is interesting...as least for those smart enough to understand the implications.


2 posted on 01/01/2009 10:08:14 PM PST by wagon1963
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To: nickcarraway

Gilboa, NY, is also the home of some of the oldest fossilized trees ever discovered, about 360 million years old (Devonian Period). I used to go camping at a grounds there in the eighties.


3 posted on 01/01/2009 10:23:58 PM PST by ETL (Smoking gun evidence on ALL the ObamaRat-commie connections at my newly revised FR Home/About page)
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To: wagon1963

“[E]volution,” “missing link,” “long-extinct ancestor” openly stated... descent with modification obviously and implicitly understood... oh yeah, this could get interesting... :-)


4 posted on 01/01/2009 10:47:03 PM PST by Mogwai (Feci quod potui, faciant meliora potentes)
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To: ETL

I have seen fossilized sea creatures in the rock formations of mountains in upstate NY!


5 posted on 01/02/2009 1:05:33 AM PST by ffusco (Maecilius Fuscus,Governor of Longovicium , Manchester, England. 238-244 AD)
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To: ETL

Did you drive a Monte Carlo and go with your main squeeze named Maria? ;)


6 posted on 01/02/2009 1:07:14 AM PST by ffusco (Maecilius Fuscus,Governor of Longovicium , Manchester, England. 238-244 AD)
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To: nickcarraway
Researchers unravel missing link in spider evolution

Still no evolution of this multi posted article. Further consentual research is needed.

7 posted on 01/02/2009 2:51:07 AM PST by rawcatslyentist (Proud non productive worker under directive 10-289)
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To: nickcarraway
"...Unearthed in upstate New York, the fossils were among the first animals to live on land in North America..."

There were big chunks of Africa "stuck" in North America at the time.

8 posted on 01/02/2009 3:12:43 AM PST by Does so (Got Pirates? Use von Luckner's SEEADLER technique—perfected in WW1. The original Q-ship!)
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To: Does so
There were big chunks of Africa "stuck" in North America at the time.

No, not at that time. The collision with Africa which led to the formation of the supercontinent of Pangea (also spelled 'Pangaea') didn't come until about 250 million years ago. The formations which contained the fossils are about 380 million years old.

http://www.scotese.com/earth.htm

9 posted on 01/02/2009 6:17:33 AM PST by ETL (Smoking gun evidence on ALL the ObamaRat-commie connections at my newly revised FR Home/About page)
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To: ffusco; All
I have seen fossilized sea creatures in the rock formations of mountains in upstate NY!

Below is a book I highly recommend if you want to learn about the ancient geology of New York State. You can find it at just about any of the major bookstores, and at reduced price used online at many sites.

Roadside Geology of New York

by Bradford B Van Diver

About this title: Informative travel companion about roadside terrain and geology with photos, diagrams, and glossary.

http://www.alibris.com/search/books/isbn/0878421807

10 posted on 01/02/2009 6:44:20 AM PST by ETL (Smoking gun evidence on ALL the ObamaRat-commie connections at my newly revised FR Home/About page)
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To: nickcarraway
For the real missing link, click....here.
11 posted on 01/02/2009 6:46:17 AM PST by mewzilla (In politics the middle way is none at all. John Adams)
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To: ETL

We’ve got a few of those. They’re great to take on road trips :)


12 posted on 01/02/2009 6:47:08 AM PST by mewzilla (In politics the middle way is none at all. John Adams)
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To: mewzilla; All
We’ve got a few of those. They’re great to take on road trips

Yes, they have them for quite a few different states.

See:
http://geology.com/store/roadside-geology.shtml

13 posted on 01/02/2009 6:53:20 AM PST by ETL (Smoking gun evidence on ALL the ObamaRat-commie connections at my newly revised FR Home/About page)
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To: ffusco; All
I have seen fossilized sea creatures in the rock formations of mountains in upstate NY

Yes, there are several great locations for marine fossils in New York State. The following may take awhile to load, especially on dial up. But it is a great map of fossil locations throughout NYS. It took me a while to load it and I'm on broadband. To enlarge the map you have to click on the + sign at lower left of it.

http://people.hofstra.edu/j_b_bennington/ny_geology/rocks_fossils_NY_wide.mov

Also see:
http://people.hofstra.edu/j_b_bennington/ny_geology/index.html

14 posted on 01/02/2009 7:28:02 AM PST by ETL (Smoking gun evidence on ALL the ObamaRat-commie connections at my newly revised FR Home/About page)
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To: ETL
No, not at that time. The collision with Africa which led to the formation of the supercontinent of Pangea (also spelled 'Pangaea') didn't come until about 250 million years ago. The formations which contained the fossils are about 380 million years old.

One of my more awed touring experiences occurs twice-annually on the Interstates through New York and Pennsylvania. What massive shiftings of earth, water, pressure and fire are written in those sections of rock!

I appreciate very much your very complete response; however, am I not correct in saying that a long chunk of Africa remains stuck within the boundaries of North America to this day?

Perhaps what I should have written was:

...the fossils were among the first animals to live on land in North America which was originally a piece of Africa within the boundaries of North America..."

(If that is indeed true).

15 posted on 01/02/2009 3:40:47 PM PST by Does so (Got Pirates? Use von Luckner's SEEADLER technique—perfected in WW1. The original Q-ship!)
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To: Does so

No, because the collision with Africa occurred some 150 million or so years *after* the time of the fossilized creatures. However, there ARE pieces of Africa (actually “pro-Africa”) stuck to portions of the east coast. In fact, one dividing line between the two great land masses lies at the approximate location of the Connecticut Valley. On one side, the original North American continent, the other old Africa.


16 posted on 01/02/2009 4:11:55 PM PST by ETL (Smoking gun evidence on ALL the ObamaRat-commie connections at my newly revised FR Home/About page)
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To: Does so

To add, the land that the fossils are embedded in was never part of proto-Africa. The collision with Africa took place further east, and so any portions of ‘Africa’ which stuck following the eventual separation are further east.


17 posted on 01/02/2009 4:21:11 PM PST by ETL (Smoking gun evidence on ALL the ObamaRat-commie connections at my newly revised FR Home/About page)
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To: Mogwai
Fortunately for spiders of yore that existed before web-spinning evolved, government-issued food stamps sustained them.
18 posted on 01/07/2009 2:44:31 PM PST by alstewartfan
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Scientists May Have Solved the Secret of Silk
Reuters | Wed, Aug 27, 2003
Posted on 08/27/2003 11:44:51 AM PDT by presidio9
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/971500/posts


19 posted on 02/19/2009 1:41:21 AM PST by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/____________________ Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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To: nickcarraway

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To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
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20 posted on 02/19/2009 1:41:35 AM PST by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/____________________ Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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