3D Images Reconstructed of 300M-Year-Old Spiders 88
Hugh Pickens writes "Scientists at Imperial College London have created detailed 3D computer models of two fossilized specimens of ancient creatures called Cryptomartus hindi and Eophrynus prestvicii, closely related to modern-day spiders. The researchers created their images by using a CT scanning device, which enabled them to take 3,000 X-rays of each fossil then compile them into precise 3D models, using custom-designed software. Both spiders roamed the Earth during the Carboniferous period, 359-299 million years ago, when life was emerging from the oceans to live on land. C. hindi's front pair of legs were angled toward the front, suggesting they were used to grapple with prey, an 'ambush predator' like the modern-day crab spider, lying in wait for prey to come close. 'Our models almost bring these ancient creatures back to life and it's really exciting to be able to look at them in such detail,' says researcher Russel Garwood, adding that the technique could be used to return to fossils that have previously been analyzed by conventional means. 'Our study helps build a picture of what was happening during this period early in the history of life on land.'"
But... (Score:3, Interesting)
...were they giant spiders?
The article doesn't say!
They look more like tics... (Score:1, Interesting)
At least to me.
Re:But... (Score:3, Interesting)
Due to the exponential nature of inflation, say a meagre 5% per year, for 3x10^8 years, that's 1.05^(3x10^8)... and GNU Octave overflows.
Okay, let's try something a bit smaller, say 0.0001% per year inflation. That's an increase of 1.942x10^130. That's around 10^50 times as many atoms as there are in the known universe. So your golden boulders are about 10^50 times as big as the universe. Yep, that's pretty huge.
Let's go really small, say 0.000001% per year inflation. That's better, they've only increased to 20 times the size.
Still, the amount of economic growth that was going on in the first 200 million years probably wasn't that big. But let's say it remained constant until the year 1 CE. That's 2000 years of interest at 5%, and we're up to 10^40 times the size again.
At this point I start freaking out that the whole conversation was about spiders!