Complex behavioral plasticity is not reduced in spiderlings with miniature brains.

The brains of smaller animals are smaller than those of their larger relatives, but it is not clear whether their adaptive behavioral flexibility is more limited. Previous interspecific comparisons found that aspects of web construction behavior of very small orb weaving spiders (0.005 mg) were no l...

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Autores principales: Rosannette Quesada-Hidalgo, William G Eberhard, Gilbert Barrantes
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Publicado: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2021
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Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/2ee0cd8c797c4a959882dcc5eb51ba1f
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spelling oai:doaj.org-article:2ee0cd8c797c4a959882dcc5eb51ba1f2021-12-02T20:03:52ZComplex behavioral plasticity is not reduced in spiderlings with miniature brains.1932-620310.1371/journal.pone.0251919https://doaj.org/article/2ee0cd8c797c4a959882dcc5eb51ba1f2021-01-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251919https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203The brains of smaller animals are smaller than those of their larger relatives, but it is not clear whether their adaptive behavioral flexibility is more limited. Previous interspecific comparisons found that aspects of web construction behavior of very small orb weaving spiders (0.005 mg) were no less precise than those of much larger related orb weavers (30 mg), but the behaviors tested were relatively simple. Here we perform a more sensitive intraspecific test involving the multiple behavioral adjustments of orb web designs made by Leucauge argyra to confinement in very small spaces. Web adjustments of spiderlings as small as ~0.1 mg were compared to previously published observations of ~80 mg conspecific adults. Spiderlings in constrained spaces made all of the complex adjustments made by adults in at least seven independent web design variables, and their adjustments were no less precise. Rough estimates based on previously published data on total brain volumes and the mean diameters of neuron cell bodies suggested that spiderlings and adult females of Leucauge may have similar numbers of neurons, due to spiderlings having smaller neurons and a greater percentage of body tissues dedicated to the brain. We speculate that this neural similarity may explain why L. argyra spiderlings showed no behavioral deficits compared with adults.Rosannette Quesada-HidalgoWilliam G EberhardGilbert BarrantesPublic Library of Science (PLoS)articleMedicineRScienceQENPLoS ONE, Vol 16, Iss 6, p e0251919 (2021)
institution DOAJ
collection DOAJ
language EN
topic Medicine
R
Science
Q
spellingShingle Medicine
R
Science
Q
Rosannette Quesada-Hidalgo
William G Eberhard
Gilbert Barrantes
Complex behavioral plasticity is not reduced in spiderlings with miniature brains.
description The brains of smaller animals are smaller than those of their larger relatives, but it is not clear whether their adaptive behavioral flexibility is more limited. Previous interspecific comparisons found that aspects of web construction behavior of very small orb weaving spiders (0.005 mg) were no less precise than those of much larger related orb weavers (30 mg), but the behaviors tested were relatively simple. Here we perform a more sensitive intraspecific test involving the multiple behavioral adjustments of orb web designs made by Leucauge argyra to confinement in very small spaces. Web adjustments of spiderlings as small as ~0.1 mg were compared to previously published observations of ~80 mg conspecific adults. Spiderlings in constrained spaces made all of the complex adjustments made by adults in at least seven independent web design variables, and their adjustments were no less precise. Rough estimates based on previously published data on total brain volumes and the mean diameters of neuron cell bodies suggested that spiderlings and adult females of Leucauge may have similar numbers of neurons, due to spiderlings having smaller neurons and a greater percentage of body tissues dedicated to the brain. We speculate that this neural similarity may explain why L. argyra spiderlings showed no behavioral deficits compared with adults.
format article
author Rosannette Quesada-Hidalgo
William G Eberhard
Gilbert Barrantes
author_facet Rosannette Quesada-Hidalgo
William G Eberhard
Gilbert Barrantes
author_sort Rosannette Quesada-Hidalgo
title Complex behavioral plasticity is not reduced in spiderlings with miniature brains.
title_short Complex behavioral plasticity is not reduced in spiderlings with miniature brains.
title_full Complex behavioral plasticity is not reduced in spiderlings with miniature brains.
title_fullStr Complex behavioral plasticity is not reduced in spiderlings with miniature brains.
title_full_unstemmed Complex behavioral plasticity is not reduced in spiderlings with miniature brains.
title_sort complex behavioral plasticity is not reduced in spiderlings with miniature brains.
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
publishDate 2021
url https://doaj.org/article/2ee0cd8c797c4a959882dcc5eb51ba1f
work_keys_str_mv AT rosannettequesadahidalgo complexbehavioralplasticityisnotreducedinspiderlingswithminiaturebrains
AT williamgeberhard complexbehavioralplasticityisnotreducedinspiderlingswithminiaturebrains
AT gilbertbarrantes complexbehavioralplasticityisnotreducedinspiderlingswithminiaturebrains
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