The evolution of novel animal signals: silk decorations as a model system
The evolution of novel animal signals: silk decorations as a model system
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DOI：
10.1111/j.1469-185x.2012.00219.x
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发表时间：
2012-08
影响因子：
10
通讯作者：
André Walter;M. Elgar
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
André Walter;M. Elgar
当代动物的信号可能源于对现有形式或新的非信号特征的阐述。解开后者的进化是具有挑战性的，因为研究信号维持的实验可能对其早期进化提供很少的见解。一些圆网蜘蛛的网饰或稳定器代表了一个有趣的模型系统来研究新的动物信号。100多年来，生物学家一直在努力解释为什么蜘蛛会用额外的丝线装饰自己的网，在这种结构上产生一个明显的信号，这种结构的功能是缠住毫无戒备的猎物。对于维持这一行为的众多解释，与对其进化起源缺乏可信的解释形成鲜明对比。我们的综述强调了解决动物信号的进化和维持以及推断致病箭--即使是从实验研究--方面的困难。根据最近关注生理过程的研究，我们提供了一个关于网络装饰行为进化过程的模型。
Contemporary animal signals may derive from an elaboration of existing forms or novel non‐signalling traits. Unravelling the evolution of the latter is challenging because experiments investigating the maintenance of the signal may provide little insight into its early evolution. The web decorations, or stabilimenta of some orb web spiders represent an intriguing model system to investigate novel animal signals. For over 100 years, biologists have struggled to explain why spiders decorate their webs with additional threads of silk, producing a conspicuous signal on a construction whose function is to entangle unsuspecting prey. The numerous explanations for the maintenance of this behaviour starkly contrast with the absence of a plausible explanation for its evolutionary origin. Our review highlights the difficulties in resolving both the evolution and maintenance of animal signalling, and inferring the causative arrow—even from experimental studies. Drawing on recent research that focuses on physiological processes, we provide a model of the evolutionary progression of web‐decorating behaviour.