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Zhu K, Yan B. Bioinspired Photoluminescent "Spider Web" as Ultrafast and Ultrasensitive Airflow-Acoustic Bimodal Sensor for Human-Computer Interaction and Intelligent Recognition. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2024; 10:1894-1909. [PMID: 39463841 PMCID: PMC11503498 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.4c01182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2024] [Revised: 08/29/2024] [Accepted: 09/17/2024] [Indexed: 10/29/2024]
Abstract
Nature provides massive biomimetic design inspiration for constructing structural materials with desired performances. Spider webs can perceive vibrations generated by airflow and acoustic waves from prey and transfer the corresponding information to spiders. Herein, by mimicking the perception capability and structure of a spider web, an ultrafast and ultrasensitive airflow-acoustic bimodal sensor (HOF-TCPB@SF) is developed based on the postfunctionalization of hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF-TCPB) on silk film (SF) through hydrogen bonds. The "spider web-like" HOF-TCPB@SF possesses light weight and high elasticity, endowing this airflow sensor with superior properties including an ultralow detection limit (DL, 0.0076 m s-1), and excellent repeatability (480 cycles). As an acoustic sensor, HOF-TCPB@SF exhibits ultrahigh sensitivity (105140.77 cps Pa-1 cm-2) and ultralow DL (0.2980 dB), with the greatest response frequency of 375 Hz and the ability to identify multiple sounds. Moreover, both airflow and acoustic sensing processes show an ultrafast response speed (40 ms) and multiangle recognition response (0-180°). The perception mechanisms of airflow and acoustic stimuli are analyzed through finite element simulation. This bimodal sensor also achieves real-time airflow monitoring, speech recognition, and airflow-acoustic interoperability based on human-computer interaction, which holds great promise for applications in health care, tunnel engineering, weather forecasting, and intelligent textiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Zhu
- School
of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tongji
University, Siping Road 1239, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Bing Yan
- School
of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tongji
University, Siping Road 1239, Shanghai 200092, China
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2
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Winsor AM, Remage-Healey L, Hoy RR, Jakob EM. Visual attention and processing in jumping spiders. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:6-8. [PMID: 37798203 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Jumping spiders have extraordinary vision. Using multiple, specialized eyes, these spiders selectively gather and integrate disparate streams of information about motion, color, and spatial detail. The saccadic movements of a forward-facing pair of eyes allow spiders to inspect their surroundings and identify objects. Here, we discuss the jumping spider visual system and how visual information is attended to and processed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex M Winsor
- Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
| | - Luke Remage-Healey
- Center for Neuroendocrine Studies and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Ronald R Hoy
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Jakob
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
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3
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Talley J, Pusdekar S, Feltenberger A, Ketner N, Evers J, Liu M, Gosh A, Palmer SE, Wardill TJ, Gonzalez-Bellido PT. Predictive saccades and decision making in the beetle-predating saffron robber fly. Curr Biol 2023:S0960-9822(23)00770-4. [PMID: 37379842 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Internal predictions about the sensory consequences of self-motion, encoded by corollary discharge, are ubiquitous in the animal kingdom, including for fruit flies, dragonflies, and humans. In contrast, predicting the future location of an independently moving external target requires an internal model. With the use of internal models for predictive gaze control, vertebrate predatory species compensate for their sluggish visual systems and long sensorimotor latencies. This ability is crucial for the timely and accurate decisions that underpin a successful attack. Here, we directly demonstrate that the robber fly Laphria saffrana, a specialized beetle predator, also uses predictive gaze control when head tracking potential prey. Laphria uses this predictive ability to perform the difficult categorization and perceptual decision task of differentiating a beetle from other flying insects with a low spatial resolution retina. Specifically, we show that (1) this predictive behavior is part of a saccade-and-fixate strategy, (2) the relative target angular position and velocity, acquired during fixation, inform the subsequent predictive saccade, and (3) the predictive saccade provides Laphria with additional fixation time to sample the frequency of the prey's specular wing reflections. We also demonstrate that Laphria uses such wing reflections as a proxy for the wingbeat frequency of the potential prey and that consecutively flashing LEDs to produce apparent motion elicits attacks when the LED flicker frequency matches that of the beetle's wingbeat cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Talley
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB, FL 32542, USA.
| | - Siddhant Pusdekar
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Aaron Feltenberger
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB, FL 32542, USA
| | - Natalie Ketner
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB, FL 32542, USA
| | - Johnny Evers
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB, FL 32542, USA
| | - Molly Liu
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Atishya Gosh
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA; Department of Biomedical Informatics and Computational Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Stephanie E Palmer
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Trevor J Wardill
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA; Department of Biomedical Informatics and Computational Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Paloma T Gonzalez-Bellido
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA; Department of Biomedical Informatics and Computational Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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4
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Kundu P, Choi N, Rundus AS, Santer RD, Hebets EA. Uncovering ‘Hidden’ Signals: Previously Presumed Visual Signals Likely Generate Air Particle Movement. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.939133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolf spiders within the genus Schizocosa have become a model system for exploring the form and function of multimodal communication. In terms of male signaling, much past research has focused on the role and importance of dynamic and static visual and substrate-borne vibratory communication. Studies on S. retrorsa, however, have found that female-male pairs were able to successfully mate in the absence of both visual and vibratory stimuli, suggesting a reduced or non-existent role of these signaling modalities in this species. Given these prior findings, it has been suggested that S. retrorsa males may utilize an additional signaling modality during courtship—air particle movement, often referred to as near-field sound—which they likely produce with rapid leg waving and receive using thin filiform sensory hairs called trichobothria. In this study, we tested the role of air-particle movement in mating success by conducting two independent sets of mating trials with randomly paired S. retrorsa females and males in the dark and on granite (i.e., without visual or vibratory signals) in two different signaling environments—(i) without (“No Noise”) and (ii) with (“Noise”) introduced air-particle movement intended to disrupt signaling in that modality. We also ran foraging trials in No Noise/Noise environments to explore the impact of our treatments on overall behavior. Across both mating experiments, our treatments significantly impacted mating success, with more mating in the No Noise signaling environments compared to the Noise environments. The rate of leg waving—a previously assumed visual dynamic movement that has also been shown to be able to produce air particle displacement—was higher in the No Noise than Noise environments. Across both treatments, males with higher rates of leg waving had higher mating success. In contrast to mating trials results, foraging success was not influenced by Noise. Our results indicate that artificially induced air particle movement disrupts successful mating and alters male courtship signaling but does not interfere with a female’s ability to receive and assess the rate of male leg waving.
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5
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Zhou J, Lai J, Menda G, Stafstrom JA, Miles CI, Hoy RR, Miles RN. Outsourced hearing in an orb-weaving spider that uses its web as an auditory sensor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2122789119. [PMID: 35349337 PMCID: PMC9169088 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2122789119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
SignificanceThe sense of hearing in all known animals relies on possessing auditory organs that are made up of cellular tissues and constrained by body sizes. We show that hearing in the orb-weaving spider is functionally outsourced to its extended phenotype, the proteinaceous self-manufactured web, and hence processes behavioral controllability. This finding opens new perspectives on animal extended cognition and hearing-the outsourcing and supersizing of auditory function in spiders. This study calls for reinvestigation of the remarkable evolutionary ecology and sensory ecology in spiders-one of the oldest land animals. The sensory modality of outsourced hearing provides a unique model for studying extended and regenerative sensing and presents new design features for inspiring novel acoustic flow detectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhou
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902
- Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439
| | - Junpeng Lai
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902
| | - Gil Menda
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Jay A. Stafstrom
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Carol I. Miles
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902
| | - Ronald R. Hoy
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Ronald N. Miles
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902
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6
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Robledo-Ospina LE, Rao D. Dangerous visions: a review of visual antipredator strategies in spiders. Evol Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-022-10156-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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7
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Montealegre-Z F, Soulsbury CD, Elias DO. Editorial: Evolutionary Biomechanics of Sound Production and Reception. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.788711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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8
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Gomes DGE, Toth CA, Bateman CC, Francis CD, Kawahara AY, Barber JR. Experimental river noise alters arthropod abundance. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Dylan G. E. Gomes
- Dept of Biological Sciences, Boise State Univ. Boise ID USA
- Cooperative Inst. for Marine Resources Studies – Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State Univ. Newport OR USA
| | - Cory A. Toth
- Dept of Biological Sciences, Boise State Univ. Boise ID USA
| | - Craig C. Bateman
- Florida Museum of Natural History, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Univ. of Florida Gainesville FL USA
| | - Clinton D. Francis
- Dept of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State Univ. San Luis Obispo CA USA
| | - Akito Y. Kawahara
- Florida Museum of Natural History, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Univ. of Florida Gainesville FL USA
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9
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Rößler DC, De Agrò M, Kim K, Shamble PS. Static visual predator recognition in jumping spiders. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniela C. Rößler
- John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellows Program Harvard University Cambridge MA USA
- Zukunftskolleg University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Department of Collective Behavior Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Konstanz Germany
| | - Massimo De Agrò
- John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellows Program Harvard University Cambridge MA USA
- Institute of Zoology University of Regensburg Regensburg Germany
| | - Kris Kim
- John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellows Program Harvard University Cambridge MA USA
| | - Paul S. Shamble
- John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellows Program Harvard University Cambridge MA USA
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10
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The Evolutionary History of Brains for Numbers. Trends Cogn Sci 2021; 25:608-621. [PMID: 33926813 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2021.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Humans and other animals share a number sense', an intuitive understanding of countable quantities. Having evolved independent from one another for hundreds of millions of years, the brains of these diverse species, including monkeys, crows, zebrafishes, bees, and squids, differ radically. However, in all vertebrates investigated, the pallium of the telencephalon has been implicated in number processing. This suggests that properties of the telencephalon make it ideally suited to host number representations that evolved by convergent evolution as a result of common selection pressures. In addition, promising candidate regions in the brains of invertebrates, such as insects, spiders, and cephalopods, can be identified, opening the possibility of even deeper commonalities for number sense.
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11
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Padda SS, Glass JR, Stahlschmidt ZR. When it's hot and dry: life-history strategy influences the effects of heat waves and water limitation. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb236398. [PMID: 33692081 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.236398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The frequency, duration and co-occurrence of several environmental stressors, such as heat waves and droughts, are increasing globally. Such multiple stressors may have compounding or interactive effects on animals, resulting in either additive or non-additive costs, but animals may mitigate these costs through various strategies of resource conservation or shifts in resource allocation. Through a factorial experiment, we investigated the independent and interactive effects of a simulated heat wave and water limitation on life-history, physiological and behavioral traits. We used the variable field cricket, Gryllus lineaticeps, which exhibits a wing dimorphism that mediates two distinct life-history strategies during early adulthood. Long-winged individuals invest in flight musculature and are typically flight capable, whereas short-winged individuals lack flight musculature and capacity. A comprehensive and integrative approach with G. lineaticeps allowed us to examine whether life-history strategy influenced the costs of multiple stressors as well as the resulting cost-limiting strategies. Concurrent heat wave and water limitation resulted in largely non-additive and single-stressor costs to important traits (e.g. survival and water balance), extensive shifts in resource allocation priorities (e.g. reduced prioritization of body mass) and a limited capacity to conserve resources (e.g. heat wave reduced energy use only when water was available). Life-history strategy influenced the emergency life-history stage because wing morphology and stressor(s) interacted to influence body mass, boldness behavior and immunocompetence. Our results demonstrate that water availability and life-history strategy should be incorporated into future studies integrating important conceptual frameworks of stress across a suite of traits - from survival and life history to behavior and physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sugjit S Padda
- University of the Pacific, Stockton, 3601 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, CA 95211, USA. School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Jordan R Glass
- University of the Pacific, Stockton, 3601 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, CA 95211, USA. School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Zachary R Stahlschmidt
- University of the Pacific, Stockton, 3601 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, CA 95211, USA. School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
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12
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Abstract
Many species from diverse and often distantly related animal groups (e.g. monkeys, crows, fish and bees) have a sense of number. This means that they can assess the number of items in a set - its 'numerosity'. The brains of these phylogenetically distant species are markedly diverse. This Review examines the fundamentally different types of brains and neural mechanisms that give rise to numerical competence across the animal tree of life. Neural correlates of the number sense so far exist only for specific vertebrate species: the richest data concerning explicit and abstract number representations have been collected from the cerebral cortex of mammals, most notably human and nonhuman primates, but also from the pallium of corvid songbirds, which evolved independently of the mammalian cortex. In contrast, the neural data relating to implicit and reflexive numerical representations in amphibians and fish is limited. The neural basis of a number sense has not been explored in any protostome so far. However, promising candidate regions in the brains of insects, spiders and cephalopods - all of which are known to have number skills - are identified in this Review. A comparative neuroscientific approach will be indispensable for identifying evolutionarily stable neuronal circuits and deciphering codes that give rise to a sense of number across phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Nieder
- Animal Physiology Unit, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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13
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14
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Winsor AM, Pagoti GF, Daye DJ, Cheries EW, Cave KR, Jakob EM. What gaze direction can tell us about cognitive processes in invertebrates. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 564:43-54. [PMID: 33413978 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Most visually guided animals shift their gaze using body movements, eye movements, or both to gather information selectively from their environments. Psychological studies of eye movements have advanced our understanding of perceptual and cognitive processes that mediate visual attention in humans and other vertebrates. However, much less is known about how these processes operate in other organisms, particularly invertebrates. We here make the case that studies of invertebrate cognition can benefit by adding precise measures of gaze direction. To accomplish this, we briefly review the human visual attention literature and outline four research themes and several experimental paradigms that could be extended to invertebrates. We briefly review selected studies where the measurement of gaze direction in invertebrates has provided new insights, and we suggest future areas of exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex M Winsor
- Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - Guilherme F Pagoti
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, 321, Travessa 14, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Daniel J Daye
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA; Graduate Program in Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA
| | - Erik W Cheries
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Kyle R Cave
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Jakob
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
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15
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Aguilar-Arguello S, Taylor AH, Nelson XJ. Jumping spiders attend to information from multiple modalities when preparing to jump. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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16
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Gomes DGE, Hesselberg T, Barber JR. Phantom river noise alters orb‐weaving spider abundance, web size and prey capture. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dylan G. E. Gomes
- Department of Biological Sciences Boise State University Boise ID USA
| | | | - Jesse R. Barber
- Department of Biological Sciences Boise State University Boise ID USA
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17
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Stafstrom JA, Menda G, Nitzany EI, Hebets EA, Hoy RR. Ogre-Faced, Net-Casting Spiders Use Auditory Cues to Detect Airborne Prey. Curr Biol 2020; 30:5033-5039.e3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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18
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Torsekar VR, Balakrishnan R. Sex differences in alternative reproductive tactics in response to predation risk in tree crickets. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Viraj R. Torsekar
- Centre for Ecological Sciences Indian Institute of Science Bangalore India
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life SciencesThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem Jerusalem Israel
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19
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Steinhoff POM, Warfen B, Voigt S, Uhl G, Dammhahn M. Individual differences in risk‐taking affect foraging across different landscapes of fear. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Philip O. M. Steinhoff
- Zoological Inst. and Museum, General and Systematic Zoology, Univ. of Greifswald Loitzer Straße 26 DE‐17489 Greifswald Germany
| | - Bennet Warfen
- Zoological Inst. and Museum, General and Systematic Zoology, Univ. of Greifswald Loitzer Straße 26 DE‐17489 Greifswald Germany
| | - Sissy Voigt
- Zoological Inst. and Museum, General and Systematic Zoology, Univ. of Greifswald Loitzer Straße 26 DE‐17489 Greifswald Germany
| | - Gabriele Uhl
- Zoological Inst. and Museum, General and Systematic Zoology, Univ. of Greifswald Loitzer Straße 26 DE‐17489 Greifswald Germany
| | - Melanie Dammhahn
- Animal Ecology, Inst. for Biochemistry and Biology, Univ. of Potsdam Potsdam Germany
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20
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Torsekar VR, Thaker M. Mate-searching context of prey influences the predator-prey space race. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201462. [PMID: 32962542 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Predation risk is a strong driver of prey distribution and movement. However, fitness-influencing behaviours, such as mating, can alter risk and influence predator-prey space-use dynamics. In tree crickets, Oecanthus henryi, mate searching involves acoustic signalling by immobile males and phonotactic movement by females. Space-use patterns in tree crickets relative to their primary predators, green lynx spiders (Peucetia viridans), should therefore depend on their current mate-searching state; whether males are calling or non-calling and whether females are phonotactic or non-phonotactic. We first measured the degree of spatial anchoring of crickets to specific bushes in the field and determined whether that influenced the probability of broad-scale spatial overlap with spiders. In the absence of spiders, all crickets, independent of sex or male calling status, were found to be spatially anchored to specific types of bushes and not uniformly distributed on the landscape. At the broad spatial scale, spiders were more likely to be found on bushes with female crickets and, to a lesser degree, calling male crickets. At a finer spatial scale within a bush, movement strategies of crickets not only varied depending on the presence or absence of a spider, but also on their current mate-searching state. Phonotactic females showed clear predator avoidance, whereas calling and non-calling males moved towards the spider instead of away, similar to predator inspection behaviour seen in many taxa. As the strongly selected sex, males are more likely to undertake risky mate-searching activities, which includes inspection of predator positions. Overall, we found that all crickets were predictably anchored at the landscape scale, but their sex and mate-seeking behaviour influenced the degree of overlap with predators and their antipredator movement strategies. Reproductive strategies within a prey species, therefore, can alter predator-prey space race at multiple spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viraj R Torsekar
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.,Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Maria Thaker
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
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21
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De Agrò M. SPiDbox: design and validation of an open-source "Skinner-box" system for the study of jumping spiders. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 346:108925. [PMID: 32896539 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Skinner-box systems are fundamental in behavioural research. They are objective, reliable and can be used to carry out procedures otherwise impossible with manual methodologies. Recently, jumping spiders have caught the interest of scientists for their remarkable cognitive abilities. However, inquiries on their learning abilities are still few, since we lacked a proper methodology capable of overcoming the inherent difficulties that this family poses when carrying out a conditioning protocol. NEW METHOD In this paper, a new, automated, open-source Skinner-box, intended for the study of jumping spiders is presented. The system is 3d printable, cheap, fully open-source; is controlled with a Raspberry Pi Zero by a Python script. Since spiders are too lightweight to activate large physical object, the SPiDbox employs photo-sensors. RESULTS To validate the methodology, 30 Phidippus regius underwent a training procedure for a simple discrimination task to validate the effectiveness of the system. The spiders managed to learn the task, establishing the effectiveness of the SPiDbox. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS This automated training appears to be more reliable and effective than traditional methodologies. Moreover, its highly scalable, as many SPiDboxes could be used in parallel. CONCLUSIONS The SPiDbox appears to be an effective system to train jumping spiders, opening up the possibility to study learning in increasingly more complex tasks, possibly extending our understanding of jumping spiders' cognitive abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo De Agrò
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Italy; Esapolis' Living Insects Museum, Padua, Italy.
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22
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Long SM. Variations on a theme: Morphological variation in the secondary eye visual pathway across the order of Araneae. J Comp Neurol 2020; 529:259-280. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Skye M. Long
- Biology Department University Massachusetts Amherst Amherst Massachusetts USA
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23
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Stidham TA. Evaluating hypotheses for the function of the ‘hissing’ stridulation of sun spiders (Arachnida Solifugae). ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2019.1691056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A. Stidham
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 142 Xi Zhi Men Wai Da Jie, Beijing 100044, China; CAS – Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing 100044, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China (E-mail: )
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24
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Choi N, Bern M, Elias DO, McGinley RH, Rosenthal MF, Hebets EA. A mismatch between signal transmission efficacy and mating success calls into question the function of complex signals. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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25
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Raboin M, Elias DO. Anthropogenic noise and the bioacoustics of terrestrial invertebrates. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:222/12/jeb178749. [PMID: 31217253 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.178749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Anthropogenic noise is an important issue of environmental concern owing to its wide-ranging effects on the physiology, behavior and ecology of animals. To date, research has focused on the impacts of far-field airborne noise (i.e. pressure waves) on vertebrates, with few exceptions. However, invertebrates and the other acoustic modalities they rely on, primarily near-field airborne and substrate-borne sound (i.e. particle motion and vibrations, respectively) have received little attention. Here, we review the literature on the impacts of different types of anthropogenic noise (airborne far-field, airborne near-field, substrate-borne) on terrestrial invertebrates. Using literature on invertebrate bioacoustics, we propose a framework for understanding the potential impact of anthropogenic noise on invertebrates and outline predictions of possible constraints and adaptations for invertebrates in responding to anthropogenic noise. We argue that understanding the impacts of anthropogenic noise requires us to consider multiple modalities of sound and to cultivate a broader understanding of invertebrate bioacoustics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maggie Raboin
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Damian O Elias
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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26
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Torsekar VR, Isvaran K, Balakrishnan R. Is the predation risk of mate-searching different between the sexes? Evol Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-019-09982-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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27
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Menda G, Nitzany EI, Shamble PS, Wells A, Harrington LC, Miles RN, Hoy RR. The Long and Short of Hearing in the Mosquito Aedes aegypti. Curr Biol 2019; 29:709-714.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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28
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Taylor CJ, Yack JE. Hearing in Caterpillars of the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus). J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb.211862. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.211862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Many species of caterpillars have been reported to respond to sound, but there has been limited formal study of what sounds they hear, how they hear them, and how they respond to them. Here we report on hearing in caterpillars of the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). Fourth and fifth instar caterpillars respond to sounds by freezing, contracting, and flicking their thorax in a vertical direction. Behavioural responses were evoked by sound frequencies between 50 and 900 Hz, with best sensitivity at 100-200 Hz. The lowest mean threshold was 79 dBSPL (particle velocity 605 µm/s) at 150 Hz. When presented with a repeated 200 Hz sound tone, caterpillars habituate by no longer responding. A series of ablation experiments confirmed that the primary sensory receptors are a pair of long hairs, called trichoid sensilla, located on the upper prothorax. These sensilla are ∼450 µm long, rest in a socket, and are innervated by a single bipolar sensory neuron. Removal of these setae reduced responses significantly compared to controls. Other setae contributed minimally to hearing in response to 200 Hz tones, and tubercles and prothoracic shields played no apparent role in sound reception. We propose that hearing functions to prevent attacks by aerial insect predators and parasitoids, which produce flight sounds in the frequency range of the caterpillars’ sensitivity. This research lays the foundation for further investigations on the function and evolution of hearing in caterpillars, and has significance for conservation of threatened monarch butterfly larvae living near noisy urban environments and roadways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantel J. Taylor
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Jayne E. Yack
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
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29
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Girard MB, Kasumovic MM, Elias DO. The role of red coloration and song in peacock spider courtship: insights into complex signaling systems. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Madeline B Girard
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Michael M Kasumovic
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences Building (D26) University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney, Australia
| | - Damian O Elias
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, USA
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30
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Vahaba DM, Remage-Healey L. Neuroestrogens rapidly shape auditory circuits to support communication learning and perception: Evidence from songbirds. Horm Behav 2018; 104:77-87. [PMID: 29555375 PMCID: PMC7025793 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Contribution to Special Issue on Fast effects of steroids. Steroid hormones, such as estrogens, were once thought to be exclusively synthesized in the ovaries and enact transcriptional changes over the course of hours to days. However, estrogens are also locally synthesized within neural circuits, wherein they rapidly (within minutes) modulate a range of behaviors, including spatial cognition and communication. Here, we review the role of brain-derived estrogens (neuroestrogens) as modulators within sensory circuits in songbirds. We first present songbirds as an attractive model to explore how neuroestrogens in auditory cortex modulate vocal communication processing and learning. Further, we examine how estrogens may enhance vocal learning and auditory memory consolidation in sensory cortex via mechanisms similar to those found in the hippocampus of rodents and birds. Finally, we propose future directions for investigation, including: 1) the extent of developmental and hemispheric shifts in aromatase and membrane estrogen receptor expression in auditory circuits; 2) how neuroestrogens may impact inhibitory interneurons to regulate audition and critical period plasticity; and, 3) dendritic spine plasticity as a candidate mechanism mediating estrogen-dependent effects on vocal learning. Together, this perspective of estrogens as neuromodulators in the vertebrate brain has opened new avenues in understanding sensory plasticity, including how hormones can act on communication circuits to influence behaviors in other vocal learning species, such as in language acquisition and speech processing in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M Vahaba
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, United States
| | - Luke Remage-Healey
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, United States.
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31
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Electric Fields Elicit Ballooning in Spiders. Curr Biol 2018; 28:2324-2330.e2. [PMID: 29983315 PMCID: PMC6065530 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.05.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
When one thinks of airborne organisms, spiders do not usually come to mind. However, these wingless arthropods have been found 4 km up in the sky [1], dispersing hundreds of kilometers [2]. To disperse, spiders “balloon,” whereby they climb to the top of a prominence, let out silk, and float away. The prevailing view is that drag forces from light wind allow spiders to become airborne [3], yet ballooning mechanisms are not fully explained by current aerodynamic models [4, 5]. The global atmospheric electric circuit and the resulting atmospheric potential gradient (APG) [6] provide an additional force that has been proposed to explain ballooning [7]. Here, we test the hypothesis that electric fields (e-fields) commensurate with the APG can be detected by spiders and are sufficient to stimulate ballooning. We find that the presence of a vertical e-field elicits ballooning behavior and takeoff in spiders. We also investigate the mechanical response of putative sensory receivers in response to both e-field and air-flow stimuli, showing that spider mechanosensory hairs are mechanically activated by weak e-fields. Altogether, the evidence gathered reveals an electric driving force that is sufficient for ballooning. These results also suggest that the APG, as additional meteorological information, can reveal the auspicious time to engage in ballooning. We propose that atmospheric electricity adds key information to our understanding and predictive capability of the ecologically important mass migration patterns of arthropod fauna [8]. Video Abstract
Spiders detect electric fields at levels found under natural atmospheric conditions Ballooning behavior is triggered by such electric fields Trichobothria mechanically respond to such electric fields, as well as to air flow Electric field and air flow stimuli elicit distinct displacements of trichobothria
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32
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Buxton RT, McKenna MF, Mennitt D, Fristrup K, Crooks K, Angeloni L, Wittemyer G. Noise pollution is pervasive in U.S. protected areas. Science 2018; 356:531-533. [PMID: 28473587 DOI: 10.1126/science.aah4783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Revised: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Anthropogenic noise threatens ecological systems, including the cultural and biodiversity resources in protected areas. Using continental-scale sound models, we found that anthropogenic noise doubled background sound levels in 63% of U.S. protected area units and caused a 10-fold or greater increase in 21%, surpassing levels known to interfere with human visitor experience and disrupt wildlife behavior, fitness, and community composition. Elevated noise was also found in critical habitats of endangered species, with 14% experiencing a 10-fold increase in sound levels. However, protected areas with more stringent regulations had less anthropogenic noise. Our analysis indicates that noise pollution in protected areas is closely linked with transportation, development, and extractive land use, providing insight into where mitigation efforts can be most effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel T Buxton
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1474, USA.
| | - Megan F McKenna
- Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525, USA
| | - Daniel Mennitt
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80525-1373, USA
| | - Kurt Fristrup
- Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525, USA
| | - Kevin Crooks
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1474, USA
| | - Lisa Angeloni
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1878, USA
| | - George Wittemyer
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1474, USA
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33
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Zeyl JN, Johnston CE. Do Body Wall Vibrations Over the Lungs Aid Aerial Hearing in Salamanders? An Investigation into Extratympanic Hearing Mechanisms. HERPETOLOGICA 2017. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-16-00076.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey N. Zeyl
- Fish Biodiversity Lab, School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, College of Agriculture, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Carol E. Johnston
- Fish Biodiversity Lab, School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, College of Agriculture, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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34
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Mammola S, Michalik P, Hebets EA, Isaia M. Record breaking achievements by spiders and the scientists who study them. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3972. [PMID: 29104823 PMCID: PMC5668680 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Organismal biology has been steadily losing fashion in both formal education and scientific research. Simultaneous with this is an observable decrease in the connection between humans, their environment, and the organisms with which they share the planet. Nonetheless, we propose that organismal biology can facilitate scientific observation, discovery, research, and engagement, especially when the organisms of focus are ubiquitous and charismatic animals such as spiders. Despite being often feared, spiders are mysterious and intriguing, offering a useful foundation for the effective teaching and learning of scientific concepts and processes. In order to provide an entryway for teachers and students-as well as scientists themselves-into the biology of spiders, we compiled a list of 99 record breaking achievements by spiders (the "Spider World Records"). We chose a world-record style format, as this is known to be an effective way to intrigue readers of all ages. We highlighted, for example, the largest and smallest spiders, the largest prey eaten, the fastest runners, the highest fliers, the species with the longest sperm, the most venomous species, and many more. We hope that our compilation will inspire science educators to embrace the biology of spiders as a resource that engages students in science learning. By making these achievements accessible to non-arachnologists and arachnologists alike, we suggest that they could be used: (i) by educators to draw in students for science education, (ii) to highlight gaps in current organismal knowledge, and (iii) to suggest novel avenues for future research efforts. Our contribution is not meant to be comprehensive, but aims to raise public awareness on spiders, while also providing an initial database of their record breaking achievements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mammola
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
- IUCN SSC Spider and Scorpion Specialist Group, Torino, Italy
| | - Peter Michalik
- Zoologisches Institut und Museum, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt Universität Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Eileen A. Hebets
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Marco Isaia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
- IUCN SSC Spider and Scorpion Specialist Group, Torino, Italy
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Abstract
The ultimate aim of flow sensing is to represent the perturbations of the medium perfectly. Hundreds of millions of years of evolution resulted in hair-based flow sensors in terrestrial arthropods that stand out among the most sensitive biological sensors known, even better than photoreceptors which can detect a single photon (10-18-10-19 J) of visible light. These tiny sensory hairs can move with a velocity close to that of the surrounding air at frequencies near their mechanical resonance, despite the low viscosity and low density of air. No man-made technology to date demonstrates comparable efficiency. Here we show that nanodimensional spider silk captures fluctuating airflow with maximum physical efficiency (Vsilk/Vair ∼ 1) from 1 Hz to 50 kHz, providing an effective means for miniaturized flow sensing. Our mathematical model shows excellent agreement with experimental results for silk with various diameters: 500 nm, 1.6 µm, and 3 µm. When a fiber is sufficiently thin, it can move with the medium flow perfectly due to the domination of forces applied to it by the medium over those associated with its mechanical properties. These results suggest that the aerodynamic property of silk can provide an airborne acoustic signal to a spider directly, in addition to the well-known substrate-borne information. By modifying a spider silk to be conductive and transducing its motion using electromagnetic induction, we demonstrate a miniature, directional, broadband, passive, low-cost approach to detect airflow with full fidelity over a frequency bandwidth that easily spans the full range of human hearing, as well as that of many other mammals.
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36
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Steinhoff POM, Liedtke J, Sombke A, Schneider JM, Uhl G. Early environmental conditions affect the volume of higher-order brain centers in a jumping spider. J Zool (1987) 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- P. O. M. Steinhoff
- General and Systematic Zoology; Zoological Institute and Museum; University of Greifswald; Greifswald Germany
| | - J. Liedtke
- Biocenter Grindel; Zoological Institute; University of Hamburg; Hamburg Germany
| | - A. Sombke
- Cytology and Evolutionary Biology; Zoological Institute and Museum; University of Greifswald; Greifswald Germany
| | - J. M. Schneider
- Biocenter Grindel; Zoological Institute; University of Hamburg; Hamburg Germany
| | - G. Uhl
- General and Systematic Zoology; Zoological Institute and Museum; University of Greifswald; Greifswald Germany
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37
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Sensory system plasticity in a visually specialized, nocturnal spider. Sci Rep 2017; 7:46627. [PMID: 28429798 PMCID: PMC5399460 DOI: 10.1038/srep46627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The interplay between an animal’s environmental niche and its behavior can influence the evolutionary form and function of its sensory systems. While intraspecific variation in sensory systems has been documented across distant taxa, fewer studies have investigated how changes in behavior might relate to plasticity in sensory systems across developmental time. To investigate the relationships among behavior, peripheral sensory structures, and central processing regions in the brain, we take advantage of a dramatic within-species shift of behavior in a nocturnal, net-casting spider (Deinopis spinosa), where males cease visually-mediated foraging upon maturation. We compared eye diameters and brain region volumes across sex and life stage, the latter through micro-computed X-ray tomography. We show that mature males possess altered peripheral visual morphology when compared to their juvenile counterparts, as well as juvenile and mature females. Matching peripheral sensory structure modifications, we uncovered differences in relative investment in both lower-order and higher-order processing regions in the brain responsible for visual processing. Our study provides evidence for sensory system plasticity when individuals dramatically change behavior across life stages, uncovering new avenues of inquiry focusing on altered reliance of specific sensory information when entering a new behavioral niche.
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38
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Bunkley JP, McClure CJW, Kawahara AY, Francis CD, Barber JR. Anthropogenic noise changes arthropod abundances. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:2977-2985. [PMID: 28479997 PMCID: PMC5415529 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Revised: 10/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic noise is a widespread and growing form of sensory pollution associated with the expansion of human infrastructure. One specific source of constant and intense noise is that produced by compressors used for the extraction and transportation of natural gas. Terrestrial arthropods play a central role in many ecosystems, and given that numerous species rely upon airborne sounds and substrate‐borne vibrations in their life histories, we predicted that increased background sound levels or the presence of compressor noise would influence their distributions. In the second largest natural gas field in the United States (San Juan Basin, New Mexico, USA), we assessed differences in the abundances of terrestrial arthropod families and community structure as a function of compressor noise and background sound level. Using pitfall traps, we simultaneously sampled five sites adjacent to well pads that possessed operating compressors, and five alternate, quieter well pad sites that lacked compressors, but were otherwise similar. We found a negative association between sites with compressor noise or higher levels of background sound and the abundance of five arthropod families and one genus, a positive relationship between loud sites and the abundance of one family, and no relationship between noise level or compressor presence and abundance for six families and two genera. Despite these changes, we found no evidence of community turnover as a function of background sound level or site type (compressor and noncompressor). Our results indicate that anthropogenic noise differentially affects the abundances of some arthropod families. These preliminary findings point to a need to determine the direct and indirect mechanisms driving these observed responses. Given the diverse and important ecological functions provided by arthropods, changes in abundances could have ecological implications. Therefore, we recommend the consideration of arthropods in the environmental assessment of noise‐producing infrastructure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Akito Y. Kawahara
- Florida Museum of Natural HistoryUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
| | - Clinton D. Francis
- Department of Biological SciencesCalifornia Polytechnic State UniversitySan Luis ObispoCAUSA
| | - Jesse R. Barber
- Department of Biological SciencesBoise State UniversityBoiseIDUSA
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39
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Steinhoff POM, Sombke A, Liedtke J, Schneider JM, Harzsch S, Uhl G. The synganglion of the jumping spider Marpissa muscosa (Arachnida: Salticidae): Insights from histology, immunohistochemistry and microCT analysis. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2017; 46:156-170. [PMID: 27845202 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Revised: 10/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Jumping spiders are known for their extraordinary cognitive abilities. The underlying nervous system structures, however, are largely unknown. Here, we explore and describe the anatomy of the brain in the jumping spider Marpissa muscosa (Clerck, 1757) by means of paraffin histology, X-ray microCT analysis and immunohistochemistry as well as three-dimensional reconstruction. In the prosoma, the CNS is a clearly demarcated mass that surrounds the esophagus. The anteriormost neuromere, the protocerebrum, comprises nine bilaterally paired neuropils, including the mushroom bodies and one unpaired midline neuropil, the arcuate body. Further ventrally, the synganglion comprises the cheliceral (deutocerebrum) and pedipalpal neuropils (tritocerebrum). Synapsin-immunoreactivity in all neuropils is generally strong, while allatostatin-immunoreactivity is mostly present in association with the arcuate body and the stomodeal bridge. The most prominent neuropils in the spider brain, the mushroom bodies and the arcuate body, were suggested to be higher integrating centers of the arthropod brain. The mushroom body in M. muscosa is connected to first and second order visual neuropils of the lateral eyes, and the arcuate body to the second order neuropils of the anterior median eyes (primary eyes) through a visual tract. The connection of both, visual neuropils and eyes and arcuate body, as well as their large size corroborates the hypothesis that these neuropils play an important role in cognition and locomotion control of jumping spiders. In addition, we show that the architecture of the brain of M. muscosa and some previously investigated salticids differs significantly from that of the wandering spider Cupiennius salei, especially with regard to structure and arrangement of visual neuropils and mushroom body. Thus, we need to explore the anatomical conformities and specificities of the brains of different spider taxa in order to understand evolutionary transformations of the arthropod brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip O M Steinhoff
- Zoological Institute and Museum, General and Systematic Zoology, University of Greifswald, Anklamer Straße 20, 17489 Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Andy Sombke
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Cytology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Greifswald, Soldmannstraße 23, 17487 Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Jannis Liedtke
- Zoological Institute, Biozentrum Grindel, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jutta M Schneider
- Zoological Institute, Biozentrum Grindel, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Steffen Harzsch
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Cytology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Greifswald, Soldmannstraße 23, 17487 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Gabriele Uhl
- Zoological Institute and Museum, General and Systematic Zoology, University of Greifswald, Anklamer Straße 20, 17489 Greifswald, Germany.
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40
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Vahaba DM. Listen up – jumping spiders can hear airborne sounds. J Exp Biol 2017. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.147223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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