Ultraviolet rays are dangerous to humans as they can cause skin cancer and damage the retina of the eye. But for spiders of the Phintella vittata species, these rays serve a purpose. According to researchers from the National University of Singapore, male spiders of this species that are able to reflect UVB rays (which are the worst ray types) on their carapace and abdomen have a better chance to mate, as this is an attractive feature that the females look for. Spiders posses complex eyes that are able to detect UVA rays, but whether or not these same UVA receptors are also able to detect UVB rays is unclear. Thus, this study was also able to challenge previous beliefs that animals were not able to see UVB rays due to proteins absorbing the rays at such a high frequency.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/06/science/06obuvb.html
It's so interesting that this study is challenging a big belief in science: that animals were not able to see UVB rays. It seems now that it is known that this species of spider can see UVB rays, now all that needs to be done is dissect the eyes to see how exactly this would work. Although the UVB is beneficial in attracting a mate, is it overall harmful in the side affects from the harmful rays?
ReplyDelete-Tricia Carlson
Interesting post. Why are the females attracted to the males that reflect UVB rays? Is there some underlying biological benefit of mating with these males? Are they more genetically fit?
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to find out more about this.
-Posted by Sarah Benjamin
This seems like a very interesting article. Did they mention what the UVB rays do to the males body to make it more attractive to the females? Did they give any more information on the experiment they did? I would like to learn more about this study.
ReplyDelete-Emily Crete