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6979 results for "spider discovery"

500-Million-Year-Old Fossil Reveals Spider Origins
InnovationApr 2

500-Million-Year-Old Fossil Reveals Spider Origins

A scientist cleaning a fossil after a long teaching day discovered the oldest known ancestor of spiders and scorpions, pushing their evolutionary history back 20 million years. The discovery shows that the complex body plan of modern spiders was already emerging during Earth's most explosive period of evolution.

Google: fossil discovery2 min read
500-Million-Year-Old Fossil Rewrites Spider Origins
InnovationApr 2

500-Million-Year-Old Fossil Rewrites Spider Origins

A Harvard scientist spotted a tiny claw where an antenna should be and discovered the oldest spider ancestor ever found. The fossil pushes back the origin of spiders, scorpions, and horseshoe crabs by 20 million years.

Google: fossil discovery2 min read
Scientists Find Spider That Looks Like a Parasitic Fungus
InnovationJun 18

Scientists Find Spider That Looks Like a Parasitic Fungus

Researchers in Ecuador discovered a spider that perfectly disguises itself as a deadly fungus that infects spiders. The find shows nature's creativity and highlights how citizen scientists are helping discover hidden wonders in rainforests.

Science Daily3 min read
Australian Spider Catapults Ants at 140 G-Forces
InnovationJun 28

Australian Spider Catapults Ants at 140 G-Forces

Scientists in Australia discovered a spider that builds spring-loaded traps to launch aggressive ants at forces five times what fighter pilots endure. The ballista spider's hunting method has never been seen before and could unlock secrets about extreme force survival.

NPR Science2 min read
Tiny Australian Spider Launches Ants at 140G Force
Planet WinsJun 24

Tiny Australian Spider Launches Ants at 140G Force

Scientists in Australia discovered a spider that uses a silk catapult to fling aggressive tree ants into its web with forces 15 times stronger than fighter pilots experience. The ballista spider's medieval weapon-inspired hunting technique is one of the most specialized prey-capture systems ever documented in nature.

Google News - Scientists Discover3 min read
Tiny Spiders Build Giant Decoys to Scare Off Predators
Global NewsJan 19

Tiny Spiders Build Giant Decoys to Scare Off Predators

Scientists discovered spiders in Peru, the Philippines, and Madagascar crafting spider-shaped sculptures from debris to protect themselves from predators. Some even shake their webs to make the decoys move like larger, more intimidating spiders.

Scientific American2 min read
Tiny Jumping Spiders Dream and Remember Friends
InnovationMay 29

Tiny Jumping Spiders Dream and Remember Friends

Scientists discovered that jumping spiders, with brains the size of poppy seeds, can dream during sleep and remember individual spiders they've met before. These coin-sized creatures are proving that intelligence doesn't require a big brain.

Upworthy2 min read
Amazon Spider Disguises Itself as Parasitic Fungus
Planet WinsJun 18

Amazon Spider Disguises Itself as Parasitic Fungus

Scientists in Ecuador discovered a spider that perfectly mimics a parasitic fungus, fooling even researchers at first glance. This first-of-its-kind discovery shows nature's creativity and highlights how citizen scientists are helping unlock rainforest secrets.

Google News - Scientists Discover2 min read
New Study: Scientific Tools Spark Most Major Discoveries
InnovationApr 20

New Study: Scientific Tools Spark Most Major Discoveries

A groundbreaking study of over 750 Nobel Prize and major discoveries reveals that new tools and methods, not just funding or theory, drive most scientific breakthroughs. The findings could help us predict and accelerate future discoveries across all fields of science.

Google: scientific discovery3 min read
Tiny Spider Hunts Prey 6 Times Its Size in City Walls
InnovationMay 2

Tiny Spider Hunts Prey 6 Times Its Size in City Walls

Scientists discovered a spider smaller than a grain of rice that catches ants six times its size while living quietly in urban wall crevices. The tiny hunter might be helping control mosquito and fly populations in cities without anyone noticing.

Google News - Scientists Discover2 min read
Amazon Spider Disguises Itself as Fungus to Survive
InnovationJun 7

Amazon Spider Disguises Itself as Fungus to Survive

Scientists in Ecuador discovered a spider that mimics a parasitic fungus growing on its own kind. This unprecedented camouflage strategy has never been documented in spiders before.

Google News - Scientists Discover2 min read
Queensland Spider Uses Ancient Weapon Trick to Hunt Ants
InnovationJun 23

Queensland Spider Uses Ancient Weapon Trick to Hunt Ants

Scientists in Far North Queensland discovered a spider that catapults aggressive ants 30 centimeters into the air using a spring-loaded web trap. The tiny hunter uses a pheromone lure and Roman ballista-inspired technique to safely catch one of nature's most dangerous prey.

ABC Australia2 min read
This Spider Loves Humans and Hunts Malaria Mosquitoes
Planet WinsMay 11

This Spider Loves Humans and Hunts Malaria Mosquitoes

A tiny jumping spider in East Africa targets blood-filled mosquitoes with remarkable precision. Scientists discovered these spiders are attracted to human scent and could help control disease-carrying insects.

AllAfrica - Health3 min read
Smiley Face Spiders Found 7,000 Miles Apart Stun Scientists
Planet WinsMay 26

Smiley Face Spiders Found 7,000 Miles Apart Stun Scientists

Two scientists hunting for ants in the Himalayas accidentally discovered a new spider species with a grinning face on its back. The twist? It evolved the same happy pattern as a spider in Hawaii, 7,000 miles away.

Good Good Good2 min read
500M-Year-Old Fossil Reveals Spider Evolution Mystery
InnovationApr 7

500M-Year-Old Fossil Reveals Spider Evolution Mystery

Scientists discovered tiny pincers on a 500 million year old fossil that could rewrite the entire evolutionary history of spiders. This ancient creature is helping researchers understand how one of Earth's most successful animal groups came to be.

NPR Science2 min read
Spider Webs Help Scientists Find New Fungus Species
Planet WinsJun 13

Spider Webs Help Scientists Find New Fungus Species

Scientists in Thailand discovered that spider webs naturally trap living fungi, including species never before catalogued. This simple method could revolutionize how researchers track fungal diversity in farmland and beyond.

Google News - Scientists Discover2 min read
Scientists Push to Save Spiders Before It's Too Late
Planet WinsMar 3

Scientists Push to Save Spiders Before It's Too Late

Researchers discovered 90% of North American insects and spiders have zero conservation protections, even though they're essential for healthy ecosystems. A new study is rallying support to protect these forgotten creatures before pest populations spiral out of control.

Euronews2 min read
Tiny Spider Takes Down Prey 6x Its Size in Colombian Homes
Planet WinsApr 25

Tiny Spider Takes Down Prey 6x Its Size in Colombian Homes

Scientists discovered a spider smaller than a pencil eraser that hunts ants, mosquitoes, and even cockroaches up to six times its size. This tiny urban pest controller could be a natural solution to keeping homes bug-free.

Google News - Scientists Discover2 min read
Scientist's 'Impossible' 1982 Discovery Won Nobel Prize
InnovationMay 18

Scientist's 'Impossible' 1982 Discovery Won Nobel Prize

A material scientist found a pattern that textbooks said couldn't exist, and his curiosity changed how we understand the atomic world. The discovery that started with "10 fold???" scribbled in a notebook led to an entirely new field of materials science.

Google: scientific discovery3 min read
Tiny Spider Uses Catapult Trap to Hunt One Type of Ant
Planet WinsJun 24

Tiny Spider Uses Catapult Trap to Hunt One Type of Ant

Scientists in Australia discovered a spider that builds a spring-loaded silk trap designed to fling aggressive ants into its web at forces 15 times stronger than fighter pilots experience. The incredible hunting method appears to target just one ant species.

BBC Science2 min read

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