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Tarantulas produce silk from their feet
University of California, Irvine ^
| 27 September 2006
| Staff (press release)
Posted on 09/27/2006 7:16:29 PM PDT by PatrickHenry
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Okay, so it's a bit creepy. Everybody be nice.
To: VadeRetro; Junior; longshadow; RadioAstronomer; Doctor Stochastic; js1138; Shryke; RightWhale; ...
2
posted on
09/27/2006 7:17:31 PM PDT
by
PatrickHenry
(When the Inquisition comes, you may be the rackee, not the rackor.)
To: PatrickHenry
To: PatrickHenry
4
posted on
09/27/2006 7:18:15 PM PDT
by
Coyoteman
(I love the sound of beta decay in the morning!)
To: PatrickHenry
I had one hanging upside down on my back porch the past spring. He stayed there for a day then moved on.
To: Coyoteman
Yeah, but it got moved to "Chat" within the first 2 or 3 posts. I'm outta here.
6
posted on
09/27/2006 7:21:38 PM PDT
by
PatrickHenry
(When the Inquisition comes, you may be the rackee, not the rackor.)
To: PatrickHenry
Because of Steve Irwin enthusiasticly educating me about different species including Tarantula's I held one when I had the opportunity.....If one could hold air that would be the best way to describe it
7
posted on
09/27/2006 7:21:56 PM PDT
by
Kimmers
To: PatrickHenry
I think it's important to determine whether this is unique to tarantulas.
My guess is that it is, or at least only with any closely related species with thick legs.
My gut instinct is this is something that benefits only thick-legged spiders, although that doesn't prove who came first.
8
posted on
09/27/2006 7:22:58 PM PDT
by
Dog Gone
To: PatrickHenry
We're the spider family right now. My son's doing a book report for his fourth grade te4acher, and my daughter's reading Charlotte's Web--a great story with some truth and contrived facts about spiders. Thanks for the info.
9
posted on
09/27/2006 7:23:10 PM PDT
by
ruthles
(Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean people aren't out to get you.)
To: PatrickHenry
The Tarantula has to be one of the coolest spiders. I wish I had a few loose around my house, as they tend to get rid of much less than desirable life forms. Thanks for posting this!
10
posted on
09/27/2006 7:24:15 PM PDT
by
KoRn
To: PatrickHenry
It could mean that silk production actually originated in the feet to increase traction, with the diversity of spinneret silk evolving later.
PH, you think locomotion is evolutionarily more important than foraging? I would think that the use of silk to create webs that can catch prey would be a more important evolutionary event; the use of silk as a means of locomotion being a next step to better situate the means of ambush, not the other way around. This can actually be supported by the fact that some species of spider create ground traps with silk rather than create webs that are arial.
11
posted on
09/27/2006 7:27:08 PM PDT
by
phoenix0468
(http://www.mylocalforum.com -- Go Speak Your Mind.)
To: PatrickHenry
12
posted on
09/27/2006 7:28:32 PM PDT
by
labette
(Clinton's legacy: Pardoning terrorists,.Killing Christians, Rising taxes, Falling trousers)
To: PatrickHenry
Jumping to conclusions.
In order to show that "diversity of silk" into webs only happened *after* the spinning of silk from the feet for traction, it would have to be shown that the spinnarets on the feet predate the spinnarets on the, err, posterior orifice region.
Did the article get into that?
Cheers!
To: phoenix0468
"Oh what a tangled web we weave"--
When posting *anything* on *either side* of a crevo thread.
There, I've set my web, let others walk into it :-)
Cheers!
To: Kimmers; PatrickHenry
Growing up in rural Oklahoma I had the opportunity to catch and hold turantulas often. They are, IMO, the most docile creature I have encountered. They will crawl on you without malice and it seems even enjoy being pet. I know that sounds creepy, but it's true.
Also, another counter to this scientists claim that the leg thread evolved before the spinerette is the fact that the silk is not only used to catch prey but to "cacoon" it as well. A process which, if I'm not mistaken, the abdominal silk. This allows the spider's kiddos to be able to feed without fear of the larger insect injuring them.
15
posted on
09/27/2006 7:32:38 PM PDT
by
phoenix0468
(http://www.mylocalforum.com -- Go Speak Your Mind.)
To: PatrickHenry
Meanwhile, caterpillars (of both butterflies and moths) produce silk from their heads, near their mouths.
16
posted on
09/27/2006 7:34:15 PM PDT
by
Ichneumon
(Ignorance is curable, but the afflicted has to want to be cured.)
To: KoRn
---The Tarantula has to be one of the coolest spiders. I wish I had a few loose around my house, as they tend to get rid of much less than desirable life forms. ---
Like unwanted girlfriends?
17
posted on
09/27/2006 7:35:24 PM PDT
by
claudiustg
(Iran delenda est.)
To: PatrickHenry
Yeah, but can they spin nylons?
18
posted on
09/27/2006 7:35:54 PM PDT
by
Doctor Stochastic
(Vegetabilisch = chaotisch ist der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
To: PatrickHenry
Yeah, but it got moved to "Chat" within the first 2 or 3 posts. What the hell?
19
posted on
09/27/2006 7:36:18 PM PDT
by
Ichneumon
(Ignorance is curable, but the afflicted has to want to be cured.)
To: grey_whiskers
I am in as much dismay of this conclusion jumping as you are, believe me. IMO, it's a silly conjecture to attempt to create more importance to both the scientist and the science.
20
posted on
09/27/2006 7:36:32 PM PDT
by
phoenix0468
(http://www.mylocalforum.com -- Go Speak Your Mind.)
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