FOSSIL OONOPID SPIDERS IN CRETACEOUS AMBERS FROM CANADA AND MYANMAR

Author: PENNEY, DAVID

Source: Palaeontology, Volume 49, Number 1, January 2006 , pp. 229-235(7)

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Abstract:

The spider family Oonopidae is described from Cretaceous ambers from Myanmar and Canada for the first time. Orchestina albertenis sp. nov. is the first spider to be described from Canadian Grassy Lake amber and only the second spider to be described from Canadian amber. The specimen in amber from Myanmar extends the known range of the extant genus Orchestina back another 10 million years from the previously oldest specimen in Turonian New Jersey amber. Despite being unknown as sedimentary fossils, Oonopidae occur in more fossil deposits than any other spider family and were already widespread by the Cretaceous. The family contains the oldest example of an extant spider genus along with Archaeidae, also from Burmese amber.

Keywords: Araneae; Burmese amber; Canadian amber; copal; Haplogynae; Oonopidae; Orchestina

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4983.2005.00521.x

Affiliations: 1: School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK;, Email: david.penney@manchester.ac.uk

Publication date: 2006-01-01