News Animals

Spider silk-making organs evolved due to a 400-million-year-old genetic oops

Spiders and silk go hand in hand, but spinnerets may exist thanks to an ancient error

A garden spider is shown close-up with silk coming out of its spinneret

Spiders, like this European garden spider (Argiope aurantia), have had great evolutionary success using their silk-producing spinnerets. The important organs may be the result of a 400-million-year-old genetic mistake.

ZenShui/Odilon Dimier/PhotoAlto Agency RF Collections/Getty Images

By Jake Buehler

This is a human-written story voiced by AI.