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
i love this question, but i hate that i’m now ruminating on spiderbrains
can you imagine intelligent arachnids? dear lord have mercy
A lot of these answers seem kind of complicated for ELI5.
Simple answer: Basically some knowledge is passed down through your DNA. We aren’t sure how this happens but we know it’s usually for survival reasons.
Expanded answer: If you’ve played Assassin’s Creed, you’re already a bit familiar with this. Of course, the games take this to the next level by claiming that your genetics contain ALL of your ancestors memories but that’s where it goes into fantasy. Knowledge being passed down through genetic information does happen, but it’s usually very simple stuff like inherit fears.
An example is that cats will instinctively bury their poo in soft sand. Two feline species combined thousands of years ago to produce domestic cats that we know today and one of those breeds originated in northern Africa, where there is lots of sand. This is thought to be a survival tactic to prevent other animals from tracking the cat. There’s no reason at all for domestic cats to do this anymore and kittens who aren’t raised by their mothers will still instinctively seek out soft dirt and sand (or litter in our case) to bury their poo, even though domestic cats haven’t had any real natural predators for perhaps thousands of years. Cats and cucumbers are another example. A cat may have never seen or experienced a snake or cucumber in its life but something in the cat brain tries to identify the cucumber and the first response is, “this could be danger noodle, stay away!”
I legit seen a spider in REALTIME Infront of my eyes swoop up an insect like some spiderman scene. What had happened was the higher up web had a “trap” or like a spot of web at the floor on the bottom. What was interesting was the spiders web wasn’t directly over the trap so the spider kind of reeled in the insect a small distance.
Same way you know how to eat. Try explaining every step in detail as if you were to teach someone. It’s actually a very complex series of motions you know how to do without ever being taught.
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