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Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Microdissection of Black Widow Spider Silk-producing Glands

Microdissection of Black Widow Spider Silk-producing Glands

Published on: January 12, 2011

A Silurian sea spider.

Derek J Siveter¹, Mark D Sutton, Derek E G Briggs

¹Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK. derek.siveter@earth.ox.ac.uk

|October 22, 2004

Summary

A new Silurian fossil sea spider provides evidence for pycnogonid (sea spider) origins. This oldest adult sea spider fossil supports their placement within Chelicerata, offering insights into early arthropod evolution.

Area of Science:

Paleontology
Marine Biology
Evolutionary Biology

Background:

Pycnogonids, or sea spiders, are marine arthropods with over 1,160 species globally distributed.
Their delicate structure and lack of biomineralization result in a sparse and debated fossil record.
Phylogenetic placement is contested, with hypotheses placing them within Chelicerata or as sister to all other euarthropods.

Purpose of the Study:

To describe a new, exceptionally preserved pycnogonid fossil from the Silurian Herefordshire Konservat-Lagerstatte.
To establish the oldest known adult sea spider fossil, dating back approximately 425 million years.
To use this fossil to inform the phylogenetic position and evolutionary history of pycnogonids.

Main Methods:

Excavation and digital reconstruction of three-dimensional fossils preserved as calcitic void in-fills.

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Detailed morphological analysis of the new pycnogonid specimen, focusing on key features like the first appendage.

Cladistic analyses to determine the phylogenetic placement of the new species within Arthropoda.

Main Results:

Description of a new pycnogonid species, the oldest and most complete fossil sea spider discovered to date.
The fossil exhibits a large chelate first appendage, supporting a chelicerate affinity for pycnogonids.
Phylogenetic analyses position the new species near the base of the pycnogonid crown group.

Conclusions:

The discovery of this Silurian pycnogonid indicates that the group had originated by this period.
The fossil evidence supports the hypothesis of pycnogonids being nested within the Chelicerata.
This finding contributes significantly to understanding the early evolution and paleobiology of sea spiders.