Arachnologists, who are scientists that study spiders and other arachnids, have recently discovered a new group of spiders in the Illithodu forests of Ernakulam, Kerala. This discovery is significant because this particular type of spider has only ever been found in Eurasia and Africa. It’s the first time they have been spotted in India.
Understanding Arachnids
Arachnids are a wide-ranging group of invertebrates that includes spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites, and more. There are over 100,000 known species of arachnids. The name Arachnida comes from the Greek word aráchnē, meaning spider. It is estimated that the vast majority of arachnids are in fact, spiders.
These creatures lack both wings and antennae and most of them are terrestrial, meaning they live on land. Most arachnids are carnivores that feed on insects. Interestingly, their mouthparts often have narrow openings that restrict them to eating liquefied prey. This makes them instrumental in controlling insect populations.
New Spider Species: Habrocestum Longispinum
The spider species recently discovered in India is named Habrocestum Longispinum, derived from the Latin words ‘longe’ (long) and ‘spinae’ (spine). These spiders belong to the genus Habrocestum, which is mostly found in Eurasia and Africa. This discovery is crucial not only for India but also for science as a whole.
| Fact | Description |
|---|---|
| Genus | Habrocestum |
| Habitat | Previously only in Eurasia and Africa |
| Discovery | Recently discovered in India |
| Importance | Supports Continental Drift Theory |
How This Discovery Supports the Continental Drift Theory
The discovery of Habrocestum Longispinum in India provides crucial support to the Continental Drift Theory. Introduced by Alfred Wegener, a geophysicist and meteorologist, in 1912, the theory offers an explanation for the current location of continents on the earth’s surface. It assumes the existence of three layers of the earth: ‘Sial’ (made up of Silicon and Aluminium), ‘Sima’ (Silicon and Magnesium), and ‘Nife’ (Nickel and Iron).
Wegener posited that these continents, or sialic masses, floated on sima without any resistance. The original unified landmass was named Pangaea, and the ocean surrounding it was given the name Panthalassa.
Over time, due to gravitational and tidal forces from both the sun and moon, Pangaea began to drift apart in westward and equatorward directions. This eventually led to the break up into Angaraland (the northern part) and Gondwanaland (the southern part). The Tethys Sea filled the space between these two landmasses.
The Continental Drift Theory is supported by several types of evidence, including the jigsaw like fit of the African and South American coastlines, the similarity of fossils and species across different continents (for example the Astrobatrachus Kurichiyana Frog), and the similarities of vegetation remains between South Africa, Australia, India and Africa. While Wegener’s original concept of “continental drift” has been discarded, it did introduce the idea of moving continents to geoscience.
The discovery of Habrocestum Longispinum in India, a spider previously only known to exist in Eurasia and Africa, adds another piece of evidence supporting the idea that our present-day continents were once one contiguous landmass.
