Fossil of a 'giant' Trapdoor spider found in Australia

This shows the two halves of the fossil that was encased in rock

Australia and spiders go together like chips and gravy.

And this amazing fossil of a "giant" Trapdoor spider proves it.

The fossil is between 11 to 16 million-years-old and was found in the centre of Australia in a very dry region of New South Wales, called McGraths Flat.

It's thought to be the first of this particular species to be found - and only the fourth spider fossil discovered in Australia.

The new species has been officially named Megamonodontium mccluskyi.

Despite it being four times the size of its modern day relative - the brush-footed trapdoor spider - Megamonodontium mccluskyi is still relatively small.

Its body measures 23.31 millimetres, or just under an inch. With its legs spread, it might fit comfortably into the palm of your hand.

But let's not take all the excitement away, this is, after all, still the second largest spider fossil ever found.

Scientists think that millions of years ago there was once a lush rainforest in the region where the fossil was found

Palaeontologist Matthew McCurry, of the University of New South Wales and the Australian Museum, said: "Only four spider fossils have ever been found throughout the whole continent, which has made it difficult for scientists to understand their evolutionary history.

"That is why this discovery is so significant, it reveals new information about the extinction of spiders and fills a gap in our understanding of the past."

The fossil was part of a large collection of fossils called an assemblage, this is when a large number of fossils are found together.

Tiny details of the spider had been preserved and this helped scientists identify it.

"Not only is it the largest fossilized spider to be found in Australia but it is the first fossil of the family Barychelidae that has been found worldwide," says arachnologist Robert Raven of Queensland Museum.

"There are around 300 species of brush-footed trapdoor spiders alive today, but they don't seem to become fossils very often. This could be because they spend so much time inside burrows and so aren't in the right environment to be fossilized."