The unusual DNA of a particular type of spider is fascinating scientists, as they think it may hold the key to diverse evolution across the world we live in. Australia’s peacock spider, known for its ...

A timeline of the spider fossil record -- Fossils -- Living fossils -- Chance and change -- Outward and upward -- Triumph over thin air -- Small changes, big benefits -- Spinning, running, jumping, ...

Sometimes, the best survival strategy is disguising yourself like something no one wants to eat, much less mess with and dig around in: bird poop. That is the approach taken by newly discovered spider ...

A new study challenges traditional views on arachnid evolution, suggesting that the transition from water to land occurred multiple times rather than in a single event. The research also highlights ...

It's not easy to look at a sea spider and see an animal so representative of its kind that it may help scientists sort out the evolution of almost everything with eight legs. But that's the potential ...

Spiders’ ability to spin webs may be one consequence of a really big genetic mistake. A close look at the genetics and development of spinnerets — spiders’ silk-making organs — reveals that an early ...

Rachael has a degree in Zoology from the University of Southampton, and specializes in animal behavior, evolution, palaeontology, and the environment. Rachael has a degree in Zoology from the ...