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
This startup wants to copy you into an embryo for organ harvesting
With plans to create realistic synthetic embryos, grown in jars, Renewal Bio is on a journey to the horizon of science and ethics.
VR is as good as psychedelics at helping people reach transcendence
On key metrics, a VR experience elicited a response indistinguishable from subjects who took medium doses of LSD or magic mushrooms.
This nanoparticle could be the key to a universal covid vaccine
Ending the covid pandemic might well require a vaccine that protects against any new strains. Researchers may have found a strategy that will work.
This artist is dominating AI-generated art. And he’s not happy about it.
Greg Rutkowski is a more popular prompt than Picasso.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.