Scientists discover 99-million-year-old spider and his preserved erection
What a way to go.
Before he died 99 million years ago, this spider had an erection nearly half of his body size and now scientists say it's one of the world's oldest, and best preserved boners.
The spider, a relative of Daddy Long Legs, and his boner, were found encased in Burmese amber in Myanmar, according to a study, which was published in The Science of Nature on Thursday.
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"This is the first record of a male copulatory organ of this nature preserved in amber and is of special importance due to the age of the deposit," researchers wrote in the abstract.
It is unclear if the spider, Halitherses Grimaldii, was copulating at the time of his death. The scientists say they believe he got the erection about a month into puberty. Penises play an important role as scientists are trying to map out the family trees of Daddy Long Legs and their relatives, also known as harvestmen, Jason Dunlop of the Berlin Museum for Natural History, told National Geographic.
"Different families, and even species, [of harvestmen] can have a characteristic penis shape," he told the magazine. "In fact, [penises] are often even more important than the shape of the body and legs."
Researchers believe that this spider may have come from an extinct family of harvestmen.
May he rest in eternal peace, even as he's in eternal arousal.
