Name: Megarachne
(Large
spider).
Phonetic: Meg-ah-rak-ney.
Named By: Mario A. H�nicken - 1980.
Classification: Arthropoda, Merostomata,
Eurypterida, Hibbertopteroidea, Mycteroptidae.
Species: M. servinei (type).
Type: Carnivore.
Size: Reconstructed as a eurypterid, length
estimated to be about 54 centimetres long.
Known locations: South America, Argentina.
Time period: Pennsylvanian of the Carboniferous.
Fossil representation: Two specimens of partial
remains.
To
begin we
need to be clear about one thing: Megarachne was
never a spider. Forget
what you may have seen in the BBC documentary 'Walking With
Monsters,
although in their defence they were following the original fossil study
during production, and did change the name to Mesothelae
for broadcast
to try and prevent confusion. Also this means that previous
reconstructions as seen in museums for twenty-five years between its
discovery and re-examination have unfortunately been incorrect. Still,
this is not the first time that an extinct creature has been
incorrectly interpreted, nor is likely the last.
When
first discovered the
specimen was thought to represent a spider but in 2005, the specimen
was re-examined along with a second specimen by Paul Seldon, Jos�
Corronca and Mario H�nicken and actually found to be a eurypterid.
Eurypterids are essentially sea scorpions and given that they are
related to arachnids and have four pairs of legs, the fossilised
remains can look spider like. Although
not a giant spider,
Megarachne has proven not to be a disappointment and
as a Eurypterid it
displays morphological features that distinguish it from among the
other members of its family.
Further reading
- A giant fossil spider (Megarachne servinei) from Bajo de V�liz, Upper
Carboniferous, Argentina - Boletin de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias,
C�rdoba, Argentina 53: 317–341. - Mario A. H�nicken - 1980.
- The true identity of the supposed giant fossil spider Megarachne. -
Biology Letters 1 (1): 44–48. - Paul A. Selden, Jos� A. Corronca
& Mario A. H�nicken - 2005.