SCI/TECH: Scientist Discovers Perfectly Preserved Prehistoric Spider In Amber.

A four centimetre long by two centimetres wide spider has been discovered by Dr David Penney of the University of Manchester in England. The ancient spider was trapped and preserved in amber and Dr Penney has successfully extracted blood samples from the spider, dating it at 20 million years old. The discovery could lead to the spider's DNA to be extracted from the amber, allowing scientists to recreate a cloned speciman not unlike the Spielberg movie Jurassic Park.



The scientist discovered the spider on a visit to a Dominican Republic museum and Dr Penney believes the spider was climbing a tree when it was hit by fast flowing resin, causing the spider to die and be preserved by the amber.

[edit on 1-10-2005 by Mayet]

Little do scientists know..after they clone this spider it will grow to 200 feet long and it will feast on HUMAN FLESH!!!!!

This is a cool story. I wonder what we will learn from this spider. And if it looks cool, then I want one as a pet.

Originally posted by GottCompton
Little do scientists know..after they clone this spider it will grow to 200 feet long and it will feast on HUMAN FLESH!!!!!

LMFAO!!

"The spider, 3 inches across when it died, was but a mere baby fresh out of the egg-sac. And once fully grown? 200ft long and severely pissed off!"

If what you say is true, we'll have to call the Japanese and get them to send Godzilla over to do battle with it.



Thanks for the laugh.

[edit on 2005-10-1 by wecomeinpeace]

This is very cool.
Are there any pictures of this available?

I'm booking my tickets to Giant Spider Island on Priceline as we speak.

Here's how it works.

1) Tell us where you want to go!

[GIANT SPIDER ISLAND]

2) Select from a full listing of hotels and prices before you buy! Sort them by price, hotel name, location, star rating, etc. - and pick the hotel and price you want.

[THE AMBER PHOENIX, ARACHNID'S REVENGE COVE & GOLF ***]

3) Now you can add a rental car and complete your vacation package! Just choose a low, low price and the type of car you want from the list shown. Priceline only uses the top 6 rental car companies - Alamo, Avis, Budget, Flintstone's Mobile, Hertz and National!

[NO THANKS, I'LL RUN WHILE SCREAMING]

And that's all there is to it! Click "Seal My Grizzly Fate Now" and we'll book everything and let you know your complete itinerary in less than 60 seconds!

Shatner Approved!

Well, get ready for the news. Because they've already done this same type DNA testing on a honeybee preserved in Amber that was about the same age of 20 million years old. I almost quote: "The DNA was virtually identical to modern day honeybees."

These are the issues that never really get addressed in evolution as far as I'm concerned. I don't think anybody is going to argue that 20 million years isn't plenty of time for a given species to evolve. So in the grand scheme of "survival of the fittest" I'm assuming we will eventually all evolve to honeybees.

Or spiders when the same findings come out on this deal.

In preparation for my higher state I had a honeybee tattood on my right hip years ago. I'm good to go.

Originally posted by ValhallIn preparation for my higher state I had a honeybee tattood on my right hip years ago. I'm good to go.

and the song Honey From The Bee takes on a whole new meaning

Originally posted by Valhall
I almost quote: "The DNA was virtually identical to modern day honeybees."

These are the issues that never really get addressed in evolution as far as I'm concerned. .

If there is no need for change, there will be no change.
Croc's have been the same for 250 million years.

Originally posted by SpittinCobra

Originally posted by Valhall
I almost quote: "The DNA was virtually identical to modern day honeybees."

These are the issues that never really get addressed in evolution as far as I'm concerned. .

If there is no need for change, there will be no change.
Croc's have been the same for 250 million years.

It really doesn't fit well with the theory of evolution though. But on a personal note, if I have my druthers...I'd druther I turn into a honeybee. Spiders are icky and have too many hairy legs, and crocs...well, they eat people.

Nice to give Spielberg a plug for the movie, but it was the book by Michael Crichton where the plotline of pulling DNA from the pre-historic mosquito in amber came from. Mosquitoes that suck blood holding the DNA of other species. Is this a blood sucking spider?

Any preserved species will get us giant steps forward in clues.


A nanotech story for Halloween?


Michael Crichton, Novelist, Becomes Senate Witness





[edit on 1-10-2005 by psyopswatcher]

Originally posted by Valhall

Originally posted by SpittinCobra

Originally posted by Valhall
I almost quote: "The DNA was virtually identical to modern day honeybees."

These are the issues that never really get addressed in evolution as far as I'm concerned. .

If there is no need for change, there will be no change.
Croc's have been the same for 250 million years.

It really doesn't fit well with the theory of evolution though. But on a personal note, if I have my druthers...I'd druther I turn into a honeybee. Spiders are icky and have too many hairy legs, and crocs...well, they eat people.

Why doesn't it fit with the theory of evolution? It merely means that there hasn't been a better way for a bee to do what a bee does, that its environment and the criteria of form and function, hasn't changed significantly.

Wow, that's pretty amazing!!

I can see it now....the spider will be cloned and eventually escape. Then a new race of spiders will poplulate wherever and screw mother nature..

It's possible

I agee with Jadette. Evolution wil not occure if it is not needed. Something reamaining the same for 20 million years does not refute evolution.
As Jadette said; why doesnt it fit in with evolution?

It really doesn't fit well with the theory of evolution though. But on a personal note, if I have my druthers...I'd druther I turn into a honeybee. Spiders are icky and have too many hairy legs, and crocs...well, they eat people.

I think this is a case of if it aint broke why fix it.The bee is very well adapted to its enviroment, so until the enviroment changes the bee is unlikely to change as its doing well the way it is.Now take algea, perfectly adapted to its enviroment virtually unchanged in billions of years.There is nothing at all in evolutionary theory that requires all organisms to evolve at the same rate, or at all. That some modern species resemble their ancestral fossils is not a big deal to anyone who's familiar to the in's and out's of evolution.

Does anyone know if it is possible to extract DNA from blood inside a mosquito which it has ingested as is done in J Park?

Picture on the story:

Originally posted by The_Modulus
Does anyone know if it is possible to extract DNA from blood inside a mosquito which it has ingested as is done in J Park?

Might be a question for these guys, TM:



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