Volume 73, Issue 10
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Evolution of aerial spider webs coincided with repeated structural optimization of silk anchorages

Jonas O. Wolff

E-mail address: jonas.wolff@mq.edu.au

Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109 Australia

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Gustavo B. Paterno

Departamento de Ecologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Lagoa Nova, 59072–970 Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, 36036–900 Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil

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Daniele Liprandi

Laboratory of Bio‐Inspired and Graphene Nanomechanics, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Masiano 77, I‐38123 Trento, Italy

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Martín J. Ramírez

Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Federico Bosia

Department of Physics and Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces Interdepartmental Centre, Università di Torino, Via P. Giuria 1, 10125 Torino, Italy

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Arie van der Meijden

CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, Vairão, Vila do Conde, Porto, 4485–661 Portugal

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Peter Michalik

Zoologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Greifswald, Loitzer Str. 26, 17489 Greifswald, Germany

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Helen M. Smith

Australian Museum, 1 William St, Sydney, New South Wales, 2010 Australia

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Braxton R. Jones

Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109 Australia

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Alexandra M. Ravelo

Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Nicola Pugno

Laboratory of Bio‐Inspired and Graphene Nanomechanics, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Masiano 77, I‐38123 Trento, Italy

School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University, Mile End Rd, London, E1 4NS UK

KET Labs, Edoardo Amaldi Foundation, Via del Politecnico snc, 00133 Rome, Italy

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Marie E. Herberstein

Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109 Australia

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First published: 23 August 2019
Citations: 2

Abstract

Physical structures built by animals challenge our understanding of biological processes and inspire the development of smart materials and green architecture. It is thus indispensable to understand the drivers, constraints, and dynamics that lead to the emergence and modification of building behavior. Here, we demonstrate that spider web diversification repeatedly followed strikingly similar evolutionary trajectories, guided by physical constraints. We found that the evolution of suspended webs that intercept flying prey coincided with small changes in silk anchoring behavior with considerable effects on the robustness of web attachment. The use of nanofiber based capture threads (cribellate silk) conflicts with the behavioral enhancement of web attachment, and the repeated loss of this trait was frequently followed by physical improvements of web anchor structure. These findings suggest that the evolution of building behavior may be constrained by major physical traits limiting its role in rapid adaptation to a changing environment.

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