Reviving a 50 Million Year Old Spider
Scientists at the University of Manchester, in the United Kingdom, digitally dissected a spider trapped in amber 50 million years ago in France using a technique called very high-resolution x-ray computed tomography. Based on the technology used in medical CAT scans, it can distinguish features about the width of a human hair. That minute level of detail allowed researchers to compare the creature’s internal organs with those of living spiders, and to classify the ancient arachnid as a unique species.

“This technique essentially generates full 3-D reconstructions of minute fossils and permits digital dissection of the specimen to reveal the preservation of internal organs,” said lead scientist David Penney in a press release from the university. “This is definitely the way forward for the study of amber fossils.”
The research was published in the current edition of the journal Zootaxa.

Keep Reading
Most Popular
A Roomba recorded a woman on the toilet. How did screenshots end up on Facebook?
Robot vacuum companies say your images are safe, but a sprawling global supply chain for data from our devices creates risk.
A startup says it’s begun releasing particles into the atmosphere, in an effort to tweak the climate
Make Sunsets is already attempting to earn revenue for geoengineering, a move likely to provoke widespread criticism.
10 Breakthrough Technologies 2023
These exclusive satellite images show that Saudi Arabia’s sci-fi megacity is well underway
Weirdly, any recent work on The Line doesn’t show up on Google Maps. But we got the images anyway.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.