Oldest spider silk preserved in amber

Ananova ^ | 08/06/03

[Pokey78]

The world's oldest known spider silk has been found in a 130 million-year-old piece of amber.

The discovery, which dates from the Early Cretaceous period, was made in amber beds located near Jezzine in Lebanon.

The fibre is 90 million years older than the thread that previously held the record for the oldest preserved silk, according to the report in the journal Nature.

The Lebanese silk strand is four millimetres in length and has tiny glue droplets spaced out along it.

The diameter of the thread, and the size, density, arrangement and shape of the droplets, closely match those in webs made by modern orb-weaver or comb-footed spiders.

The fossils from these spiders date back 190 million years, so complex web-weaving must be at least that old.

Samuel Zschokke, from the University of Basel in Switzerland, said: "As the specimen contains only a single thread, we cannot identify with certainty the type of web of which this thread was a part.

"It may have been part of an orb-web or of a gum-footed web.

"However, the fossil thread could have been part of a web type that no longer exists today.

"In any case, the present specimen is direct evidence for the antiquity of viscid spider silk."

[bedolido]

[Clara Lou]

Really interesting article. I have a pair of amber earrings from the Dominican Republic. One of the pieces of amber has an ant in it. I've often wondered how old that fossil is.

[MineralMan]

Here's a page that will help you get an idea of the age of your Dominican amber (10-30 million years)

http://palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/Palaeofiles/Lagerstatten/DomAmber/GeoAge.html

[Clara Lou]

Thanks so much for the link! I'd love to find out more.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

"Step into my parlor" said the spider to the fly...


(I have no idea where I remember that from; it popped into my head immediately when reading this post.)

[ChemistCat]

The Spider and the Fly


By Mary Howitt

---

"Will you walk into my parlour?" said the Spider to the Fly, "
'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy;
The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,
And I have many curious things to show you when you are there."
"Oh no, no," said the Fly, "to ask me is in vain;
For who goes up your winding stair can ne'er come down again."

"I'm sure you must be weary, dear, with soaring up so high;
Will you rest upon my little bed?" said the Spider to the Fly.
"There are pretty curtains drawn around, the sheets are fine and thin;
And if you like to rest awhile, I'll snugly tuck you in!"
"Oh no, no," said the little Fly, "for I've often heard it said
They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed!"

Said the cunning Spider to the Fly, "Dear friend, what can I do
To prove that warm affection I've always felt for you?
I have within my pantry, good store of all that's nice;
I'm sure you're very welcome - will you please take a slice?"
"Oh no, no," said the little Fly, "kind sir, that cannot be,
I've heard what's in your pantry, and I do not wish to see!"

"Sweet creature," said the Spider, "you're witty and you're wise;
How handsome are your gauzy wings, how brilliant are your eyes!
I have a little looking-glass upon my parlour shelf;
If you step in one moment, dear, you shall behold yourself."
"I thank you, gentle sir," she said, "for what you're pleased to say;
And bidding good morning now, I'll call another day."

The Spider turned him round about, and went into his den,
For well he knew the silly Fly would soon come back again;
So he wove a subtle web in a little corner sly,
And set his table ready to dine upon the Fly.
Then he came out to his door again, and merrily did sing,
"Come hither, hither, pretty Fly, with the pearl and silver wing;
Your robes are green and purple, there's a crest upon your head;
Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are as dull as lead."

Alas, alas! how very soon this silly little Fly,
Hearing his wily, flattering words, came slowly flitting by;
With buzzing wings she hung aloft, Then near and nearer drew, -
Thinking only of her brilliant eyes, and green and purple hue;
Thinking only of her crested head - poor foolish thing! At last,
Up jumped the cunning Spider, and fiercely held her fast.
He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal den
Within his little parlour - but she ne'er came out again!

And now, dear little children, who may this story read,
To idle, silly, flattering words, I pray you ne'er heed;
Unto an evil counsellor close heart, and ear, and eye,
And take a lesson from this tale of the Spider and the Fly.

---

Mary Howitt (1799-1888) was born in Coleford, England the daughter of Samuel Botham a land-surveyor. In 1809, Mary and her sister were sent to a Quaker school in Croydon; the dress code of which Mary would remember years later when writing her autobiography. She married at the age of 22 to William Howitt, a reluctant chemist and co-writer on alot of her published poetry. She was the first English translator of Hans Christian Anderson, and apart from her poetry also wrote a number of works for children. She died in Rome, Italy; having converted to Roman Catholicism at the tender age of 83.

[Tijeras_Slim]

I've got cobwebs under my furniture that are nearly that old.

[Junior]

Ping.

[PatrickHenry]

None of our threads will ever last that long.

[sleepy_hollow]

How in heaven's name can they know how old this is? I just do not buy it. They even admit in the end of this excerpt that they have no way of knowing much of anything about this specimen. So, someone found something about which noone seems to be able to know anything, but they are absolutely positive it is 190 million years old. Preposterous in my view. Or, even if it is that old, apparently spiders back then are just like spiders now. These evolutionists are nuts.

[donh]

How in heaven's name can they know how old this is?

Because of a boatload of correlations using a boatload of dating techniques, and a fundamental faith in reasoning by induction. Same way they know stars are x many billions of years old. What astronomical scientist actually nursemaided a star from birth to death?

[ErnBatavia]

None of our threads will ever last that long.

You've never been to the Hobbit Hole, eh?

[Sabertooth]

Amber alert?

[Junior]

[Groan]

[Aric2000]

Another Groan, placemarker

[AndrewC]

Or, even if it is that old, apparently spiders back then are just like spiders now.

Stasis in light of the Chicxulub event is a testament to non-change rather than change.

The diameter of the thread, and the size, density, arrangement and shape of the droplets, closely match those in webs made by modern orb-weaver or comb-footed spiders.

Impact! 65 Million Years Ago

What killed the dinosaurs? Their sudden disappearance 65 million years ago, along with about 70 percent of all species then living on Earth, is known as the K-T event (Cretaceous-Tertiary Mass Extinction event).

But, of course, the answer will essentially be "it didn't change because it didn't change".

[SunkenCiv]

GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach	join list or digest view topics view or post blog bookmark post a topic subscribe
Thanks Pokey78. Note: this topic is from 8/06/2003. Blast from the Past. Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.