How does each individual spider innately know what the architecture of their web should be without that knowledge being taught to them?

Question

Is that kind of information passed down genetically and if so, how does that work exactly? It seems easier to explain instinctive behaviors in other animals but weaving a perfectly geometric web seems so advanced it’s hard to fathom how that level of knowledge can simply be inherited genetically. Is there something science is missing?

In: 1829

Answer 1

It’s because the ones that had the instinct to do it the right way were more successful surviving and reproducing. The ones whose instinct led to less efficient systems probably had less access to food or were less protected from predators. Natural selection favors the more adaptable independently of whether or not they understand the science behind their acrions.