Scientists Map Velvet Spider Genome, Revealing Surprising Similarities to Humans

You may have more in common with spiders than you thought. Scientists have sequenced the spider genome, and have found that in some ways it resembles a human's genome.

While it's interesting that the spider genome resembles a human's genome in some ways, there are other more significant discoveries. By describing the spider genome, the researchers have paved the way to better study spiders in the future.

"In brief, we've acquired a tool for everyone interested in spiders," said Kristian Sanggaard and Jesper Bechsgaard, the two researchers involved in the mapping project.

The researchers worked with two types of spiders which represented two of the three main groups of the spider family. One of the spiders was a tarantula and the other was the small velvet spider. Although the scientists managed to successfully sequence the velvet spider's genome, there are still some gaps in the genetic map of the tarantula.

"The idea was that, by comparing their genetic makeup, we'd try to see whether we could say anything in general terms about what makes a spider a spider," said Sanggaard in a news release.

The researchers didn't just map the genome, though. They also looked at the protein composition of silk and venom production. By including the proteins, they filled in details that allowed them to better understand spiders.

"People can select an aspect or features of the spider they're interested in, and then utilize the 'genetic map' we published and which we ourselves have used to study silk and venom," stated the researchers. "This provides completely new opportunities for spider researchers."

The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.