Huge Spider Fossil Found in Australia

 Photo credit © Michael Frese

The second largest spider fossil has been found in Australia. It dates to 11-15 million years ago. It is around five times bigger than similar spider species living today. In terms of size, it’s comparable to a modern wolf spider at around 50 millimeters or 2 inches toe-to-toe.

The spider is named "Megamonodontium mccluskyi", a reference to its nearest living relatives, a group of tiny brush-footed trapdoor spiders from the genus Monodontium. The latter name is after Dr Simon McClusky who discovered the fossil in June 2020.

Read more here: Astonishing 15-Million-Year-Old Spider Fossil is the Second Largest Ever Found