The evolution of novel animal signals: silk decorations as a model system

摘要: Contemporary animal signals may derive from an elaboration of existing forms or novel non-signalling traits. Unravelling the evolution latter is challenging because experiments investigating maintenance signal provide little insight into its early evolution. The web decorations, stabilimenta some orb spiders represent intriguing model system to investigate signals. For over 100 years, biologists have struggled explain why decorate their webs with additional threads silk, producing a conspicuous on construction whose function entangle unsuspecting prey. numerous explanations for this behaviour starkly contrast absence plausible explanation evolutionary origin. Our review highlights difficulties in resolving both and signalling, inferring causative arrow-even experimental studies. Drawing recent research that focuses physiological processes, we progression web-decorating behaviour.