Fossilized Spiders Found in China

on April 29, 2010

Scientists have recently found interesting spider fossils in China.

Have you ever seen a fossilized spider? Scientists have recently found interesting spider fossils in China. These fossils are special because they contain so much detail.

Paul Seldon, from the University of Kansas, studied the fossilized spiders and said, “Spider fossils from this period are rare, because the arachnids’ soft bodies don’t preserve well. The pristine fossil . . . was probably created when the spider was trapped in volcanic ash.” 1

The fossilized spiders, which are called Eoplectreurys gertschi, are now thought to be extinct, but they are similar to spiders we find today. Relatives of the fossilized spiders are even found today in parts of California and Arizona!

This is surprising to evolutionary scientists. They expected to find more differences between modern spiders and fossilized spiders, especially since they believe the fossilized spiders lived close to 165 million years ago.

This is no problem for creationist scientists, who believe that God created spiders several thousand years ago and that these spider fossils were probably formed due to the upheaval during or right after a worldwide flood.

1 Stunningly Preserved 165-Million-Year-Old Spider Fossil Found, February 9, 2010, Wired Science. http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/02/spider-fossil/