Previous studies of the fossilized remains of Cryptomartus Hindi allowed scientists to see some features of the creature, which had four pairs of legs and looked similar to a spider.

In the new study, the researchers' computer models revealed that Cryptomartus Hindi's two fore legs were angled towards the front of the body, which suggests that it used its legs to grab its prey before killing them.

The researchers believe this finding suggests the Cryptomartus Hindi was an ambush predator, living in logs and fronds, waiting for prey such as insects to walk by before catching and killing them.

This stance is seen in modern day crab spiders, which sit on the edge of flowers and wait for insects to land so that they can grab them.

The researchers believe their new technique could be used to re-explore previously analysed fossils to provide a much clearer picture of how ancient extinct species survived on early earth.

The study was published in the Wednesday edition of Biology Letters.