Why in news?
A newly described species of fossil harvestman has been found preserved in Baltic amber. The specimen, named Balticolasma wunderlichi, is around 35 million years old and belongs to a subfamily of harvestmen that no longer exists in Europe. Researchers used high‑resolution imaging techniques to reveal its anatomical features, which improve our understanding of ancient arachnids and their distribution.
Background
Arachnids are a class of joint‑legged invertebrates within the phylum Arthropoda. They include spiders, scorpions, harvestmen, ticks and mites. Unlike insects, arachnids have two main body segments (a cephalothorax and an abdomen), lack wings and antennae, and possess eight legs. Most arachnids are carnivorous or scavengers, using chelicerae (fangs or pincers) to feed. Harvestmen, also called daddy‑long‑legs, belong to the order Opiliones. Their body segments are fused into a single oval shape, and they have long legs and a rounded abdomen. Harvestmen are not venomous and do not spin silk; many species emit a foul‑smelling fluid when threatened.
About the discovery
- The fossil was recovered from Baltic amber in Ukraine. Advanced imaging (including X‑ray micro‑computed tomography) allowed scientists to visualise tiny structures without damaging the specimen.
- Balticolasma wunderlichi belongs to the extinct subfamily Ortholasmatinae. Its discovery suggests that these harvestmen once inhabited Europe during the Eocene epoch, whereas today the group is known mainly from North America and Asia.
- The find demonstrates that the diversity of ancient arachnids was greater than previously thought. Studying such fossils helps reconstruct prehistoric ecosystems and how environmental changes affected species distribution.
Source: SciTechDaily