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Cordero-Molina S, Fetter-Pruneda I, Contreras-Garduño J. Neural mechanisms involved in female mate choice in invertebrates. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 14:1291635. [PMID: 38269245 PMCID: PMC10807292 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1291635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Mate choice is a critical decision with direct implications for fitness. Although it has been recognized for over 150 years, our understanding of its underlying mechanisms is still limited. Most studies on mate choice focus on the evolutionary causes of behavior, with less attention given to the physiological and molecular mechanisms involved. This is especially true for invertebrates, where research on mate choice has largely focused on male behavior. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on the neural, molecular and neurohormonal mechanisms of female choice in invertebrates, including behaviors before, during, and after copulation. We identify areas of research that have not been extensively explored in invertebrates, suggesting potential directions for future investigation. We hope that this review will stimulate further research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sagrario Cordero-Molina
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva. Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Ingrid Fetter-Pruneda
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Fisiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Jorge Contreras-Garduño
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva. Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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2
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Angelakakis A, Turetzek N, Tuni C. Female mating rates and their fitness consequences in the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9678. [PMID: 36590337 PMCID: PMC9797470 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Mating systems, with varying female mating rates occurring with the same partner (monandry) or with multiple mates (polyandry), can have far reaching consequences for population viability and the rate of gene flow. Here, we investigate the mating rates of the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum (Theridiidae), an emerging model for genetic studies, with yet undescribed reproductive behavior. It is hypothesized that spiders belonging to this family have low re-mating rates. We paired females twice with the same male (monandry) or with different males (polyandry), and recorded behaviors, mating success and fitness resulting from single- and double-matings, either monandrous or polyandrous. Despite the study being explorative in nature, we predict successful matings to be more frequent during first encounters, to reduce female risk of remaining unmated. For re-mating to be adaptive, we expect higher fitness of double-mated females, and polyandrous females to experience highest mating success and fitness if reproductive gains are achieved by mating with multiple partners. We show that the majority of the females did not mate, and those that did mated only once, not necessarily on their first encounter. The likelihood of re-mating did not differ between monandrous and polyandrous encounters and female mating experience (mated once, twice monandrous, twice polyandrous) did not affect fitness, indicated by similar offspring production. Female twanging of the web leads to successful matings suggesting female behavioral receptivity. Cannibalism rates were low and mostly occurred pre-copulatory. We discuss how the species ecology, with potentially high mating costs for males and limited female receptivity, may shape a mating system with low mating rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apostolos Angelakakis
- Behavioral Ecology, Faculty of BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichPlanegg‐MartinsriedGermany
- Evolutionary Ecology, Faculty of BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichPlanegg‐MartinsriedGermany
| | - Natascha Turetzek
- Evolutionary Ecology, Faculty of BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichPlanegg‐MartinsriedGermany
| | - Cristina Tuni
- Behavioral Ecology, Faculty of BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichPlanegg‐MartinsriedGermany
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3
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Moody NM, Vivlamore EK, Fuxjager MJ. Woodpecker drum evolution: An analysis of covariation in elements of a multicomponent acoustic display among and within species. Evolution 2022; 76:1469-1480. [PMID: 35665503 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Multicomponent signals are found throughout the animal kingdom, but how these elaborate displays evolve and diversify is still unclear. Here, we explore the evolution of the woodpecker drum display. Two components of this territorial sexually selected signal, drum speed and drum length, are used by territory holders to assess the threat level of an intruding drummer. We explore the coevolution of these display components both among and within species. Among species, we find evidence for strong coevolution of drum speed and length. Within species, we find that drum speed and length vary largely independent of each other. However, in some species, there is evidence of covariation in certain portions of the drum length distribution. The observed differences in component covariation at the macro- and microevolutionary scales highlight the importance of studying signal structure both among and within species. In all cases of covariation at both evolutionary scales, the relationship between drum speed and length is positive, indicating mutual elaboration of display components and not a performance trade-off.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Moody
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, 02912, USA
| | - Emma K Vivlamore
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27101, USA
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, 02912, USA
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4
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Davies MS, Hesselberg T. The Use of Tuning Forks for Studying Behavioural Responses in Orb Web Spiders. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13040370. [PMID: 35447812 PMCID: PMC9027978 DOI: 10.3390/insects13040370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary Spiders are common predators found in almost every type of environment, and are used as model organisms in studies ranging from communication and signalling to biochemical studies on their silk. Orb spiders are particularly interesting, as their web provides a cost-effective way to obtain information on their foraging behaviour. However, studies on short-term behaviours including prey capture and escape behaviours are rare and usually take place in artificial settings, such as laboratories. In this study, we tested a simple methodology using tuning forks that can be used consistently and reliably in the field. The two tuning forks are capable of producing attack (440 Hz) and escape (256 Hz) responses from the spiders. We also used a metal wire as a mechanical stimulus for comparison, which as predicted, was less reliable. We demonstrate the usefulness of the methodology by quantitatively investigating how the size of the spider and the size of its web affect predatory and escape response rates in the autumn spider, although no significant effects of either were found. However, our results confirm the ease by which this simple method can be used to conduct behavioural studies of orb spiders in the wild. Abstract Spiders and their webs are often used as model organisms to study a wide range of behaviours. However, these behavioural studies are often carried out in the laboratory, and the few field studies usually result in large amounts of video footage and subsequent labour-intensive data analysis. Thus, we aimed to devise a cost- and time-effective method for studying the behaviour of spiders in the field, using the now almost forgotten method of stimulating webs with tuning forks. Our study looked at the viability of using 256 Hz and 440 Hz tuning forks to stimulate, anti-predatory and predatory responses in the orb web spider Metellina segmentata, respectively. To assess the consistency of the behaviours produced, we compared these to direct mechanical stimulation with a metal wire. The results suggest that the tuning forks produce relatively consistent behaviours within and between two years in contrast to the metal wire. We furthermore found no significant effects of spider length or web area on spider reaction times. However, we found significant differences in reaction times between escape and prey capture behaviours, and between tuning forks and the wire. Thus, we demonstrated the potential of tuning forks to rapidly generate quantitative data in a field setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mollie S. Davies
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Headington Campus, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK;
| | - Thomas Hesselberg
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Headington Campus, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK;
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
- Correspondence:
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5
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Dharmarathne WDSC, Herberstein ME. Limitations of sperm transfer in the complex reproductive system of spiders. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab158] [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]
Abstract
Abstract
In spiders, sperm transfer from the male to the female is indirect via secondary copulatory structures, the pedipalps. At the time of transfer the sperm are not mobile and the ejaculate needs to move through narrow male and female ducts to the female sperm storage organ. In addition, copulation duration can be very short, often limited to just a few seconds. Finally, sexual cannibalism and genital damage limits male life-time mating opportunities. These features of the reproductive biology in spiders are likely to result in sperm transfer constraints. Here we review the intrinsic and extrinsic sperm transfer limitations and conduct a meta-analysis on sperm transfer data from published data. Most of the information available relates to orb-web spiders, but our meta-analysis also includes non-orb-web spiders. Our review identifies some of the behavioural factors that have been shown to influence sperm transfer, and lists several morphological and physiological traits where we do not yet know how they might affect sperm transfer.
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6
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Wignall AE, Herberstein ME. Male courtship reduces the risk of female aggression in web-building spiders but varies in structure. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Male courtship serves multiple functions in addition to inducing females to accept them as a mate. In predatory species, male courtship can function to reduce the risk of sexual cannibalism. This is particularly important in web-building spiders in which males risk being mistaken for prey when they enter the female’s predatory trap—the web—in order to commence courtship. Male spiders generate vibrations by shuddering in the female’s web. Shudder vibrations can delay female aggression, even toward prey struggling in the web. We predicted that shudder vibrations are highly conserved across species of web-building spider as males all face the same constraint of not being mistaken for prey by females. We examined how conserved shudder vibrations are across web-building spiders by testing whether female Trichonephila plumipes delay aggressive behavior toward real prey struggling in the web during playback of conspecific or heterospecific (Argiope keyserlingi) male shudder vibrations. We found that while conspecific shudder vibrations do indeed delay female predatory behavior, heterospecific male shudder vibrations do not. There is evidence of shudder or shudder-like vibrations in male courtship behavior across web-building spider families, but these vary in structure. This suggests that despite strong constraints on courtship signal design to separate predatory responses from sexual responses, there is additional selection driving the divergence of signals across distantly related spider species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne E Wignall
- School of Natural and Computational Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Marie E Herberstein
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
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7
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Spatiotemporal dynamics of animal contests arise from effective forces between contestants. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2106269118. [PMID: 34857634 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2106269118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Competition among animals for resources, notably food, territories, and mates, is ubiquitous at all scales of life. This competition is often resolved through contests among individuals, which are commonly understood according to their outcomes and in particular, how these outcomes depend on decision-making by the contestants. Because they are restricted to end-point predictions, these approaches cannot predict real-time or real-space dynamics of animal contest behavior. This limitation can be overcome by studying systems that feature typical contest behavior while being simple enough to track and model. Here, we propose to use such systems to construct a theoretical framework that describes real-time movements and behaviors of animal contestants. We study the spatiotemporal dynamics of contests in an orb-weaving spider, in which all the common elements of animal contests play out. The confined arena of the web, on which interactions are dominated by vibratory cues in a two-dimensional space, simplifies the analysis of interagent interactions. We ask whether these seemingly complex decision-makers can be modeled as interacting active particles responding only to effective forces of attraction and repulsion due to their interactions. By analyzing the emergent dynamics of "contestant particles," we provide mechanistic explanations for real-time dynamical aspects of animal contests, thereby explaining competitive advantages of larger competitors and demonstrating that complex decision-making need not be invoked in animal contests to achieve adaptive outcomes. Our results demonstrate that physics-based classification and modeling, in terms of effective rules of interaction, provide a powerful framework for understanding animal contest behaviors.
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8
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Sivalinghem S, Mason AC. Function of structured signalling in the black widow spider Latrodectus hesperus. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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9
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Stribling D, Chang PL, Dalton JE, Conow CA, Rosenthal M, Hebets E, Graze RM, Arbeitman MN. The brain transcriptome of the wolf spider, Schizocosa ocreata. BMC Res Notes 2021; 14:236. [PMID: 34162407 PMCID: PMC8220750 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-021-05648-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Arachnids have fascinating and unique biology, particularly for questions on sex differences and behavior, creating the potential for development of powerful emerging models in this group. Recent advances in genomic techniques have paved the way for a significant increase in the breadth of genomic studies in non-model organisms. One growing area of research is comparative transcriptomics. When phylogenetic relationships to model organisms are known, comparative genomic studies provide context for analysis of homologous genes and pathways. The goal of this study was to lay the groundwork for comparative transcriptomics of sex differences in the brain of wolf spiders, a non-model organism of the pyhlum Euarthropoda, by generating transcriptomes and analyzing gene expression. DATA DESCRIPTION To examine sex-differential gene expression, short read transcript sequencing and de novo transcriptome assembly were performed. Messenger RNA was isolated from brain tissue of male and female subadult and mature wolf spiders (Schizocosa ocreata). The raw data consist of sequences for the two different life stages in each sex. Computational analyses on these data include de novo transcriptome assembly and differential expression analyses. Sample-specific and combined transcriptomes, gene annotations, and differential expression results are described in this data note and are available from publicly-available databases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Stribling
- Biomedical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306 USA
- Present Address: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Peter L. Chang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA
| | - Justin E. Dalton
- Biomedical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306 USA
| | - Christopher A. Conow
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA
| | - Malcolm Rosenthal
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588 USA
| | - Eileen Hebets
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588 USA
| | - Rita M. Graze
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849 USA
| | - Michelle N. Arbeitman
- Biomedical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306 USA
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10
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Sivalinghem S, Mason AC. Vibratory communication in a black widow spider (Latrodectus hesperus): signal structure and signalling mechanisms. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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11
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Girard MB, Elias DO, Azevedo G, Bi K, Kasumovic MM, Waldock JM, Rosenblum EB, Hedin M. Phylogenomics of peacock spiders and their kin (Salticidae: Maratus), with implications for the evolution of male courtship displays. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Understanding diversity has been a pursuit in evolutionary biology since its inception. A challenge arises when sexual selection has played a role in diversification. Questions of what constitutes a ‘species’, homoplasy vs. synapomorphy, and whether sexually selected traits show phylogenetic signal have hampered work on many systems. Peacock spiders are famous for sexually selected male courtship dances and peacock-like abdominal ornamentation. This lineage of jumping spiders currently includes over 90 species classified into two genera, Maratus and Saratus. Most Maratus species have been placed into groups based on secondary sexual characters, but evolutionary relationships remain unresolved. Here we assess relationships in peacock spiders using phylogenomic data (ultraconserved elements and RAD-sequencing). Analyses reveal that Maratus and the related genus Saitis are paraphyletic. Many, but not all, morphological groups within a ‘core Maratus’ clade are recovered as genetic clades but we find evidence for undocumented speciation. Based on original observations of male courtship, our comparative analyses suggest that courtship behaviour and peacock-like abdominal ornamentation have evolved sequentially, with some traits inherited from ancestors and others evolving repeatedly and independently from ‘simple’ forms. Our results have important implications for the taxonomy of these spiders, and provide a much-needed evolutionary framework for comparative studies of the evolution of sexual signal characters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline B Girard
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Damian O Elias
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Guilherme Azevedo
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ke Bi
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Michael M Kasumovic
- Ecology & Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Julianne M Waldock
- Collections and Research, Western Australian Museum, Welshpool, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Erica Bree Rosenblum
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Marshal Hedin
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
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12
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Buxton VL, Enos JK, Sperry JH, Ward MP. A review of conspecific attraction for habitat selection across taxa. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:12690-12699. [PMID: 33304487 PMCID: PMC7713925 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Many species across taxa select habitat based on conspecific presence, known as conspecific attraction. Studies that document conspecific attraction typically provide social information (i.e., cues that indicate the presence of a given species) and then determine if a given species is more likely to settle at locations where the social information is provided compared to those locations that do not. Although the number of studies examining conspecific attraction has grown in recent years, a comprehensive review has not yet been undertaken. Here, we conducted a review of the literature and found 151 studies investigating conspecific attraction across eight taxa. We found that conspecific attraction is widespread with between 80% and 100% of studies, depending on taxa, documenting positive associations between habitat selection and the presence of conspecific cues. Conspecific attraction has been documented more frequently in bird and fish species with less attention given to invertebrate and mammal species. We use the patterns we found to (a) provide an overview of the current state of research on conspecific attraction and (b) discuss how important factors, such as cue characteristics and life history traits, may play a role in shaping conspecific attraction patterns within and across taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie L. Buxton
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaILUSA
| | - Janice K. Enos
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and BehaviorUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaILUSA
| | | | - Michael P. Ward
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaILUSA
- Illinois Natural History SurveyUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignChampaignILUSA
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13
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Magris M, Wignall AE, Herberstein ME. Courtship and copula duration influence paternity success in a spider. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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14
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Influence of past and current social contexts on hunting behaviour in spiderlings. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02870-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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15
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Lv B, Wang J, Peng Y, Wang Z, Song Q. Long-term cadmium exposure affects cell adhesion and expression of cadherin in the male genital organ of Pardosa pseudoannulata (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:17770-17778. [PMID: 32162219 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-07968-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Pardosa pseudoannulata (Araneae: Lycosidae), as an important predator of crop pests, has served as a strong driver for ecological regulation of pests. Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal widely distributed in the soil in China, which not only seriously pollutes the ecological environment, but also poses a great threat to the survival of organisms. Palpal bulbs are the genital organs of male spiders, playing an important role in reproductive physiology. However, the effects of long-term Cd stress on the genital organ of the primary pest predator were poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated the Cd effect on the male palpal organ of P. pseudoannulata at morphological and gene expression levels. The results showed that no obvious difference in the morphology between the Cd-treated and control groups was observed, but cell adhesion was affected at molecular level. Transcriptome sequencing analysis revealed that under long-term Cd stress, the biological processes including cell-cell adhesion via plasma-membrane adhesion molecules, cell-cell adhesion, and homophilic cell adhesion via plasma membrane adhesion molecules were the top three differentially expressed terms (p-adj < 0.001), and 51 unigenes were annotated into cadherin-related proteins, such as protocadherin, cadherin-87A, and cadherin-96Ca, among which, 18 unigenes were significantly upregulated under the Cd stress. Our outcomes indicate that the differentially expressed genes involved in cell adhesion may explain the negative effects of Cd stress on the spider genital organ, and the comprehensive transcriptome dataset will also provide a profound molecular information of the genital organ of P. pseudoannulata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Lv
- College of Life Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410006, Hunan, China
| | - Juan Wang
- College of Life Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410006, Hunan, China
| | - Yuande Peng
- Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha, 410205, Hunan, China
| | - Zhi Wang
- College of Life Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410006, Hunan, China.
| | - Qisheng Song
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
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16
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Cordellier M, Schneider JM, Uhl G, Posnien N. Sex differences in spiders: from phenotype to genomics. Dev Genes Evol 2020; 230:155-172. [PMID: 32052129 PMCID: PMC7127994 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-020-00657-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Sexual reproduction is pervasive in animals and has led to the evolution of sexual dimorphism. In most animals, males and females show marked differences in primary and secondary sexual traits. The formation of sex-specific organs and eventually sex-specific behaviors is defined during the development of an organism. Sex determination processes have been extensively studied in a few well-established model organisms. While some key molecular regulators are conserved across animals, the initiation of sex determination is highly diverse. To reveal the mechanisms underlying the development of sexual dimorphism and to identify the evolutionary forces driving the evolution of different sexes, sex determination mechanisms must thus be studied in detail in many different animal species beyond the typical model systems. In this perspective article, we argue that spiders represent an excellent group of animals in which to study sex determination mechanisms. We show that spiders are sexually dimorphic in various morphological, behavioral, and life history traits. The availability of an increasing number of genomic and transcriptomic resources and functional tools provides a great starting point to scrutinize the extensive sexual dimorphism present in spiders on a mechanistic level. We provide an overview of the current knowledge of sex determination in spiders and propose approaches to reveal the molecular and genetic underpinnings of sexual dimorphism in these exciting animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Cordellier
- Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Jutta M Schneider
- Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Gabriele Uhl
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Research Group General and Systematic Zoology, Universität Greifswald, Loitzer Straße 26, 17489, Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Nico Posnien
- Department of Developmental Biology, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
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17
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Bringing down the house: male widow spiders reduce the webs of aggressive females more. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2618-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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18
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Just P, Opatova V, Dolejš P. Does reproductive behaviour reflect phylogenetic relationships? An example from Central EuropeanAlopecosawolf spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae). Zool J Linn Soc 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zly060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Just
- Department of Zoology, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Viničná, CZ, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Vera Opatova
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Petr Dolejš
- Department of Zoology, National Museum – Natural History Museum, Cirkusová, CZ –, Praha – Horní Počernice, Czech Republic
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19
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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: 0.7] [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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20
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Russell AL, Mauerman KB, Golden RE, Papaj DR. Linking components of complex signals to morphological part: the role of anther and corolla in the complex floral display. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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21
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O'Hanlon JC, Wignall AE, Herberstein ME. Short and fast vs long and slow: age changes courtship in male orb-web spiders (Argiope keyserlingi). Naturwissenschaften 2017; 105:3. [PMID: 29209865 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-017-1527-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2017] [Revised: 11/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Male reproductive performance can vary with condition, age and future reproductive opportunities. Web-building spiders are ideal models to examine the effects of senescence on fitness-related behaviours due to strong selection on male courtship to reduce pre-copulatory sexual cannibalism. Argiope keyserlingi spiders generate courtship vibrations, or 'shudders', that reduce female aggression. We found that male A. keyserlingi courtship slowed with chronological age. Older males took longer to travel across the courtship thread, and overall number of shudders increased. Males retained some ability to modulate courtship quality (shudder duration and number of rocks within each shudder) in response to female quality. A change in courtship performance over time, despite strong selection for repeatability, indicates that ageing in male A. keyserlingi may have direct impacts on reproductive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C O'Hanlon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia. .,Centre of Excellence for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia.
| | - Anne E Wignall
- Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, 0745, New Zealand
| | - Marie E Herberstein
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
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22
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Joel AC, Habedank A, Mey J. Vibratory movements in contests between females of the feather-legged spider (Uloborus plumipes). ZOOLOGY 2017; 125:87-93. [PMID: 29174059 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2017.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Females of the feather-legged spider Uloborus plumipes invade, and compete for, each other's orb webs. In the context of these competitive interactions the question arose how the spiders communicate. Since substrate-borne vibrations are the most important component of the sensory environment of web-building spiders, we investigated vibratory movements that might serve as signals of communication. Three behaviors were found to be associated with female-female contests and to cause propagating vibrations in the spider webs: thread pulling, abdominal trembling, and web shaking. While thread pulling and abdominal trembling were also observed when prey insects were caught in the webs, web shaking occurred only in response to the presence of a competing conspecific. Caused by flexing of the first legs and a vigorous rotary movement of the opisthosoma, web shaking creates a short burst of strong oscillations of the orb web. This behavior always elicited a behavioral reaction by the competitor and may serve as an intraspecific signal in the mutual assessment of competing spiders. We suggest that web shaking communicates resource holding potential in U. plumipes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Christin Joel
- Institut für Biologie II (Zoologie), RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 3, D-52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Anne Habedank
- Institut für Biologie II (Zoologie), RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 3, D-52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Jörg Mey
- Institut für Biologie II (Zoologie), RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 3, D-52074 Aachen, Germany; Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, SESCAM, Finca la Peraleda s/n, E-45071 Toledo, Spain.
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23
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24
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Herberstein ME, Painting CJ, Holwell GI. Scramble Competition Polygyny in Terrestrial Arthropods. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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25
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Lockard MA, Ebert MS, Bargmann CI. Oxytocin mediated behavior in invertebrates: An evolutionary perspective. Dev Neurobiol 2016; 77:128-142. [PMID: 27804275 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Revised: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 10/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The molecular and functional conservation of oxytocin-related neuropeptides in behavior is striking. In animals separated by at least 600 million years of evolution, from roundworms to humans, oxytocin homologs play critical roles in the modulation of reproductive behavior and other biological functions. Here, we review the roles of oxytocin in invertebrate behavior from an evolutionary perspective. We begin by tracing the evolution of oxytocin through the invertebrate animal lineages, and then describe common themes in invertebrate behaviors that are mediated by oxytocin-related peptides, including reproductive behavior, learning and memory, food arousal, and predator/prey relationships. Finally, we discuss interesting future directions that have recently become experimentally tractable. Studying oxytocin in invertebrates offers precise insights into the activity of neuropeptides on well-defined neural circuits; the principles that emerge may also be represented in the more complex vertebrate brain. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 128-142, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan A Lockard
- Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, 10065
| | - Margaret S Ebert
- Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, 10065
| | - Cornelia I Bargmann
- Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, 10065.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, 10065
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26
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Shamble PS, Menda G, Golden JR, Nitzany EI, Walden K, Beatus T, Elias DO, Cohen I, Miles RN, Hoy RR. Airborne Acoustic Perception by a Jumping Spider. Curr Biol 2016; 26:2913-2920. [PMID: 27746028 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.08.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Revised: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Jumping spiders (Salticidae) are famous for their visually driven behaviors [1]. Here, however, we present behavioral and neurophysiological evidence that these animals also perceive and respond to airborne acoustic stimuli, even when the distance between the animal and the sound source is relatively large (∼3 m) and with stimulus amplitudes at the position of the spider of ∼65 dB sound pressure level (SPL). Behavioral experiments with the jumping spider Phidippus audax reveal that these animals respond to low-frequency sounds (80 Hz; 65 dB SPL) by freezing-a common anti-predatory behavior characteristic of an acoustic startle response. Neurophysiological recordings from auditory-sensitive neural units in the brains of these jumping spiders showed responses to low-frequency tones (80 Hz at ∼65 dB SPL)-recordings that also represent the first record of acoustically responsive neural units in the jumping spider brain. Responses persisted even when the distances between spider and stimulus source exceeded 3 m and under anechoic conditions. Thus, these spiders appear able to detect airborne sound at distances in the acoustic far-field region, beyond the near-field range often thought to bound acoustic perception in arthropods that lack tympanic ears (e.g., spiders) [2]. Furthermore, direct mechanical stimulation of hairs on the patella of the foreleg was sufficient to generate responses in neural units that also responded to airborne acoustic stimuli-evidence that these hairs likely play a role in the detection of acoustic cues. We suggest that these auditory responses enable the detection of predators and facilitate an acoustic startle response. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul S Shamble
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
| | - Gil Menda
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
| | - James R Golden
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Eyal I Nitzany
- Department of Biological Statistics and Computational Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Katherine Walden
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Tsevi Beatus
- Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Damian O Elias
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Itai Cohen
- Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Ronald N Miles
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA
| | - Ronald R Hoy
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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27
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Stafstrom JA, Hebets EA. Nocturnal foraging enhanced by enlarged secondary eyes in a net-casting spider. Biol Lett 2016; 12:20160152. [PMID: 27194291 PMCID: PMC4892245 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals that possess extreme sensory structures are predicted to have a related extreme behavioural function. This study focuses on one such extreme sensory structure-the posterior median eyes of the net-casting spider Deinopis spinosa. Although past research has implicated the importance of vision in the nocturnal foraging habits of Deinopis, no direct link between vision in the enlarged eyes and nocturnal foraging has yet been made. To directly test the hypothesis that the enlarged posterior median eyes facilitate visually based nocturnal prey capture, we conducted repeated-measures, visual occlusion trials in both natural and laboratory settings. Our results indicate that D. spinosa relies heavily on visual cues detected by the posterior median eyes to capture cursorial prey items. We suggest that the enlarged posterior median eyes benefit D. spinosa not only through increased diet breadth, but also by allowing spiders to remain active solely at night, thus evading predation by diurnal animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay A Stafstrom
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Manter Hall, 1104T Street, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Eileen A Hebets
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Manter Hall, 1104T Street, Lincoln, NE, USA
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28
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Mate Searching Animals as Model Systems for Understanding Perceptual Grouping. PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS IN ANIMAL COMMUNICATION 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-48690-1_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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29
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Multimodal Communication in Wolf Spiders (Lycosidae)—An Emerging Model for Study. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2016.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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30
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Rypstra AL, Walker SE, Persons MH. Cautious versus desperado males: predation risk affects courtship intensity but not female choice in a wolf spider. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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31
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Beani L, Zuk M. Beyond sexual selection: The evolution of sex differences from brain to behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 46 Pt4:497-500. [PMID: 25451200 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Beani
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Italy
| | - Marlene Zuk
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, USA
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