Assassin Spider?

[Pulk]

Madagascar is home to some of the world's most unique flora and fauna. Almost all of Madagascar's reptile and amphibian species, half of its birds, and all of its lemurs are endemic to the island. (they exist nowhere else on earth). so that is why it doesnt surprise me. even tho south africa is only 300 miles west of madagascar it surprises me because it (madagscar) has been cut off, unexplored for so many years, and the fact that something as unique and highly specialised as this spider has evolved in such a place as south africa and australia. basicly, it surprises me for the exact opposite reasons it doesnt surprise me it was found in madagascar. (if that makes sense)

this means that the assasin spiders have either evolved the same way as on madagascar seperately or they have been around for more than 165 million years. because madagascar was attached to africa more than 165 million years ago. However, most of the groups of mammals and other terrestrial fauna that are well represented on Madagascar today had not evolved when Madagascar first split from continental Africa.

i hope this answered your question

300 miles isn't too far for spiders to float across. the idea that highly specialized, hard-to-find, or "very unique" animals are less likely to develop on the mainland doesn't make any sense. because nobody is calling this convergent evolution, this type of spider presumably -did- evolve more than 165 mya, which isn't that shocking.

 

[Demon187]

300 miles isn't too far for spiders to float across. the idea that highly specialized, hard-to-find, or "very unique" animals are less likely to develop on the mainland doesn't make any sense. because nobody is calling this convergent evolution, this type of spider presumably -did- evolve more than 165 mya, which isn't that shocking.

it is shocking because evidance suggests most of the fauna evolved AFTER madagascar split from mainland africa. please read my post again. also i find it very hard to believe this spider could have 'floated' over 300 miles to mainland. laughable infact.

 

[Demon187]

oh and also you say 'the idea that highly specialized, hard-to-find, or "very unique" animals are less likely to develop on the mainland doesn't make any sense'. i am not saying that. i am saying MADAGASCAR is home to the most unique fauna on earth, nearly all species on the island are endemic. purely because of the fact it is cut off from the rest of the world, alowing all creatures to evolve independantly from everything else. you really dont understand what i'm saying, i suggest you research MADAGASCAR and its fauna. if this ''doesn't make any sense'' then how come, ALL of its lemurs, allmost ALL of its reptiles and amphibians, HALF of its birds, aren't found anywhere else on the planet? i'm not saying 'highly specialised, hard-to-find or very unique'' animals are less likely to develope on the mainland, i am saying the animals of madagascar are infact, highly speclialised and very unique. this is not up for discussion, it is a proven fact.

 

[Pulk]

it is shocking because evidance suggests most of the fauna evolved AFTER madagascar split from mainland africa.

i'm assuming you mean they evolved into radically different species... is this referring to inverts as well as vertebrates?

also i find it very hard to believe this spider could have 'floated' over 300 miles to mainland. laughable infact.

unfortunately i don't remember where it was, but i read about a widely supported theory that some non-aquatic animal floated over a comparable distance and established a population on an island.
i have no reason to believe the archaeids actually did float that far, just that it's conceivable. it would only have to happen once in a span of a couple hundred million years for a species from the mainland to inhabit the island.

oh and also you say 'the idea that highly specialized, hard-to-find, or "very unique" animals are less likely to develop on the mainland doesn't make any sense'. i am not saying that. i am saying MADAGASCAR is home to the most unique fauna on earth, nearly all species on the island are endemic. purely because of the fact it is cut off from the rest of the world, alowing all creatures to evolve independantly from everything else. you really dont understand what i'm saying, i suggest you research MADAGASCAR and its fauna. if this ''doesn't make any sense'' then how come, ALL of its lemurs, allmost ALL of its reptiles and amphibians, HALF of its birds, aren't found anywhere else on the planet? i'm not saying 'highly specialised, hard-to-find or very unique'' animals are less likely to develope on the mainland, i am saying the animals of madagascar are infact, highly speclialised and very unique. this is not up for discussion, it is a proven fact.

that all makes sense; I'm not questioning it. it seemed that without your implying my statement your point would not have any bearing on the question, but "nearly all species on the island are endemic" is a separate idea. is any archaeid species from Madagascar supposed to be the same species as one from South Africa? (if the last two statements are true, then I agree that that is totally surprising.)

 

[proper_tea]

I believe that in the articles about these they are saying they believe that these species evolved independently, and they're referring to it as convergent evolution. I could be thinking of something else though.

 

[Pulk]

I missed that in the animal planet article. that is some crazy convergent evolution!