Scientists Put Makeup On Spiders To See If It Keeps Predators Away

 

Researchers wanted to test whether male jumping spiders evolved black stripes on their backs to keep predators away, so of course, they gave some spiders a makeover. Using foundation powder to dim the stripes on males and drawing stripes on the backs of females with Urban Decay’s black liquid eyeliner, the scientists put the altered spiders to the test.

Did it work? The answer is “sort of;” while swapping the markings on the spiders did lead one predator of the spiders to attack the female instead of the male, other predators always attacked the males no matter how they looked. The conclusion of the researchers is that the markings on the spiders “may not have an adaptive function at all” …or it might.

Source: New York Post

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