Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Science

A spider named for Stephen Colbert has a genome about 50% larger than ours

Many spiders reach their maximum size about this time of year, having spent the summer eating, which helps explain their starring role in Halloween decorations. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have found that one particular trapdoor spider, Aptostichus stephencolberti, which is a...

A spider named for Stephen Colbert has a genome about 50% larger than ours
Image: Phys.org
Many spiders reach their maximum size about this time of year, having spent the summer eating, which helps explain their starring role in Halloween decorations. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have found that one particular trapdoor spider, Aptostichus stephencolberti, which is about the size of a quarter, is big in another way: It has an outsized genome.

Originally published at Phys.org

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