michaelJul 3, 2025

3-Jul-2025
What the sea spider #genome reveals about their bizarre #anatomy
The first high-quality #pycnogonid genome provides novel insights in #chelicerate evo-devo

Intriguing - I didn't even know these #arthropods existed

#science #ecology #evolution #development #MarineBiology #FantasticSpecies

Show threadThomas A. Hegna, Ph.DJan 4, 2023
My suspicion, upon first seeing Thiel & Schriever's paper was that they had obviously never heard of a pycnogonid (sea spider). These are a completely separate lineage of chelicerates which apparently never moved out of the water. Indeed, pycnogonids are not even mentioned in the paper. Eberhart had the good sense to point out this possibility in his book. #seaspider #pycnogonid
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Russell GarwoodDec 2, 2022

.. or #pycnogonid which died and was buried on the sea floor 407 million years ago. Sea spiders are weird animals in general, and due to its long tail this is a particularly weird one. It was found in Germany in a slate quarry where the rocks were commercially mined for roof slate.

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#arthropods #science #Palaeontology #Fossils #FossilFriday