The evolution of spiders has been going on for at least 400 million years, since the first true spiders (thin-waisted arachnids) evolved from crab-like chelicerate ancestors. Today, there are 42,473 described spider species within the diverse phylum of arthropods.
Major developments in spider evolution include the development of spinnerets and silk secretion.
Read more about Evolution Of Spiders: Early Spider-like Arachnids, Emergence of True Spiders
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