12:54pm UK, Friday September 30, 2005

Arachnaphobes beware - scientists have found a prehistoric spider perfectly preserved in amber.

Even more worryingly, its blood was preserved, leading to the possibility that its DNA could be extracted.

180 spider preserved in amber 20 million years old

The preserved spider

The creature, 1.5in (4cm) long by 0.78in (2cm) wide, was trapped in the resin 20 million years ago.

Palaeontologist Dr David Penney, of the University of Manchester, managed to extract droplets of its blood to reveal its age.

It is thought to be the first time spider blood has been found in amber.

Dr Penney said he had used the blood droplets to find outhow, when and where the creature died.

He believes it was hit on the head by fast-flowing resin, became engulfed and died.

"It's amazing to think that a single piece of amber with a single spider in it can open up a window into what was going on 20 million years ago," he said.

He found the fossil during a visit to a museum in the Dominican Republic.

It is a new species from the filistatidae family commonly found in South America and the Caribbean.

Dr Penney also holds the record for discovering the world's oldest spider, which dates back 135 million years.

His latest find recalls the film Jurassic Park in which scientists bring prehistoric monsters back to life using the DNA of dinosaurs preserved inside insects encased in amber.