Delicate Spider Fossil Discovered | The Institute for Creation Research

Delicate Spider Fossil Discovered
Discovering fossil spiders has become fairly common.1 Each time they have been 100% spiders, not vague evolutionary ancestors with partial or transitional features.2
 
Now a whole collection of “ancient” spiders from the Cretaceous (Albian) Jinji Formation in Korea has been discovered.3 This is a significant discovery because these small arachnids were found to have a special eye membrane called the tapetum (təˈpiːtÉ™m)—a paleontological first.   
 
There is nothing simple or archaic about the tapetum (or tapetum lucidum). This structure is found in a variety of animals, from teleosts (fish) to nocturnal mammals such as owls and moths. It’s composed of a layer of cells found either outside the retina or in it. The tapetum contains guanine crystals, zinc, and riboflavin (a protein that actually fluoresces—it shines). Light striking the eyes of a cat at night, for example, is highly reflected, giving the eerie appearance of the eyes “glowing.” The purpose of this reflective membrane seems to be to increase the sensitivity of the eye to dim light.
 
The evolutionary researchers estimate the Jinji spider fossils are around 110 million years old and were gradually buried in lake sediments. Gradually? I beg to differ. These creatures had no hard shell or bones that would have aided preservation, but were buried so rapidly that even the imprints of their tiny leg hairs can easily be seen. There was no indication of the predation or scavenging one would expect if burial were slow and gradual. A rapid burial of these arachnids due to the Genesis Flood about 4,500 years ago is a far better explanation.

This amazing discovery once again shows that ancient spiders were as complex as today’s spiders, glowing eyes and all. Tweet: This amazing discovery once again shows that

This amazing discovery once again shows that “ancient” spiders were as complex as today’s spiders, glowing eyes and all.4
 
References
1. Thomas, B. Spectacular Spider Is a Long-Living Fossil. Creation Science Update. Posted on ICR.org February 24, 2010, accessed February 3, 2019.
2. Sherwin, F. Spiders Have Always Been Spiders. Creation Science Update. Posted on ICR.org March 19, 2015, accessed February 3, 2019.
3. Greshko, M. New fossil spiders with ‘glowing’ eyes found in South Korea. Posted on nationalgeographic.com January 31, 2019, accessed February 3, 2019. 
4. Ghose, T. Stunningly Preserved 165-Million-Year-Old Spider Fossil Found. Wired. Posted on Wired.com February 9, 2010, accessed February 3, 2019.

Stage image: Koreamegops samsiki
Stage image credit: Copyright © 2019. P. A. Selden. Used in accordance with federal copyright (fair use doctrine) law. Usage by ICR does not imply endorsement of copyright holder.

*Mr. Sherwin is Research Associate is at ICR. He has a master’s in zoology from the University of Northern Colorado.

The Latest
CREATION PODCAST
Homo Naledi: The Lies Behind Evolution's Rising Star | The Creation...
Homo naledi, once evolution's 'rising star,' was considered to be a prime example of human evolution. But is it really proof? Or...

NEWS
A Subsurface Ocean on Mimas?
Scientists have analyzed data obtained from the Cassini spacecraft and concluded that irregularities in the orbit of Saturn’s moon Mimas indicate...

NEWS
In Theaters March 20 & 21: The Ark and the Darkness
Is Genesis true? What about Noah’s Flood? How did Noah fit the animals on the ark? Wasn’t it a local flood? Have you asked these questions? Though...

NEWS
Enigmatic Fossil Plants
The pre-Flood world thousands of years ago was unlike the world of today.1 Unfamiliar animals and plants were common, and there were a lot...

NEWS
Surprisingly Colorful Fossil Snail Shells
Finding organic compounds such as flexible dinosaur collagen and complete bone cells1,2 is becoming common, much to the shock and consternation...

NEWS
March 2024 ICR Wallpaper
"He is not here; for He is risen, as He said." (Matthew 28:6 NKJV) ICR March 2024 wallpaper is now available for mobile, tablet,...

CREATION PODCAST
Homo Erectus: The Shocking Truth About the "Ape Man"...
Homo erectus, or "Upright Man," has been upheld as a piece of mankind's "evolutionary history" since its discovery in 1891....

NEWS
Mystery of Moths' Warning Sound
Insects of all types continue to amaze entomologists with their design and physiology. Cleveland Hickman, Jr., et al. stated, “insect ears are...

NEWS
Geneticist Fired for Affirming Humans Once Lived 900 Years?
Geneticist Alexander Kudryavtsev, the head of the Russian Academy of Science’s Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, has been fired, reportedly...

ACTS & FACTS
Creation Kids: Solar Eclipses
Designed by Susan Windsor* You're never too young to be a creation scientist and explore our Creator's world. Kids, discover fun facts...