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Ancient Duplication Sparks Spider Web Evolution Discovery

1/28/2026

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Summary

Story summary

A Science Advances study finds that spiders’ web-spinning arose after a whole-genome duplication in an early arachnid about 400 million years ago.
Shuqiang Li and his team analyzed two spider species and a whip scorpion, identifying the abdominal-A gene as crucial for spinneret formation.
Some experts caution the study may not fully explain spinneret origins, noting whole-genome duplication is rare in animals and that other arthropods lack the abdominal-A gene.

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Story summary

A Science Advances study finds that spiders’ web-spinning arose after a whole-genome duplication in an early arachnid about 400 million years ago.
Shuqiang Li and his team analyzed two spider species and a whip scorpion, identifying the abdominal-A gene as crucial for spinneret formation.
Some experts caution the study may not fully explain spinneret origins, noting whole-genome duplication is rare in animals and that other arthropods lack the abdominal-A gene.