Magnificently rare preserved Spider fossil - Positive and negative-On Matrix- - Eoplectreurys gertschi

This specimen of ‘Eoplectreurys gertschi’ is one of the oldest arachnid fossil known to date as it is about 165 million years old. This fossil is remarkable for a variety of reasons: first, finding fossilized spiders isn't easy, because the soft bodies of arachnids "don't keep well" as experts says. Preservation is astonishing, the detail with which this fossil is preserved is amazing, allowing to examine minute details of this extinct species like hairy abdomen and legs. Secondly, the fossil is extremely old, from the Middle Jurassic, 165 million year old. According to the researcher, the fossil of this spider "was formed when it was trapped in volcanic ash" which allowed this surprising state of conservation. The morphological conservation between these fossil Plectreuroids and their modern counterparts displays strong evolutionary conservatism. This positive and negative specimen was found in Inner Mongolia, in an area plagued with fossils of salamanders, small primitive mammals, insects and crustaceans. In the matrix are present also other insects. Finally, spiders are highly-coveted by collectors. Spider is 10 mm from leg to leg. Matrix is 65 x 42 mm. Photos are taken with different light sources to show that the fossil is not flat.