A spider from the Jurassic
The fossils come from Daohugou in Inner Mongolia, China. The original description assigned the find to the Middle Jurassic, around 165 million years ago. Preserved body characters provide evidence; colour and the living surroundings in our illustration are reconstructions.
First, a female
In 2011 the initially described female was named Nephila jurassica. Its apparent similarities suggested placement with living golden orb weavers. That historical name records an earlier hypothesis; it does not represent the fossil’s current placement.
New characters, new placement
A subsequently studied male provided additional characters, especially in its palps. In 2013 the authors placed the species in Mongolarachne and a separate family. Relationships were reassessed; the fossil did not become a demonstrated direct ancestor of any living species.
Sources & image credits
- Selden, Shih & Ren (2011) · Original description of Nephila jurassica, subsequently reclassified ↗
- Selden, Shih & Ren (2013) · A giant spider from the Jurassic of China reveals greater diversity of the orbicularian stem group ↗
Sources checked: 2 November 2026. Comparisons carry the qualifications stated in each article.