Sensory system plasticity in a visually specialized, nocturnal spider. 2017

Jay A Stafstrom, and Peter Michalik, and Eileen A Hebets
University of Nebraska - Lincoln, School of Biological Sciences, NE, USA.

The interplay between an animal's environmental niche and its behavior can influence the evolutionary form and function of its sensory systems. While intraspecific variation in sensory systems has been documented across distant taxa, fewer studies have investigated how changes in behavior might relate to plasticity in sensory systems across developmental time. To investigate the relationships among behavior, peripheral sensory structures, and central processing regions in the brain, we take advantage of a dramatic within-species shift of behavior in a nocturnal, net-casting spider (Deinopis spinosa), where males cease visually-mediated foraging upon maturation. We compared eye diameters and brain region volumes across sex and life stage, the latter through micro-computed X-ray tomography. We show that mature males possess altered peripheral visual morphology when compared to their juvenile counterparts, as well as juvenile and mature females. Matching peripheral sensory structure modifications, we uncovered differences in relative investment in both lower-order and higher-order processing regions in the brain responsible for visual processing. Our study provides evidence for sensory system plasticity when individuals dramatically change behavior across life stages, uncovering new avenues of inquiry focusing on altered reliance of specific sensory information when entering a new behavioral niche.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D005260 Female Females
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000825 Animal Structures Organs and other anatomical structures of non-human vertebrate and invertebrate animals. Animal Organs,Animal Organ,Animal Structure,Organ, Animal,Organs, Animal,Structure, Animal,Structures, Animal
D001522 Behavior, Animal The observable response an animal makes to any situation. Autotomy Animal,Animal Behavior,Animal Behaviors
D012727 Sex Characteristics Those characteristics that distinguish one SEX from the other. The primary sex characteristics are the OVARIES and TESTES and their related hormones. Secondary sex characteristics are those which are masculine or feminine but not directly related to reproduction. Gender Characteristics,Gender Differences,Gender Dimorphism,Sex Differences,Sex Dimorphism,Sexual Dichromatism,Sexual Dimorphism,Characteristic, Gender,Characteristic, Sex,Dichromatism, Sexual,Dichromatisms, Sexual,Difference, Sex,Dimorphism, Gender,Dimorphism, Sex,Dimorphism, Sexual,Gender Characteristic,Gender Difference,Gender Dimorphisms,Sex Characteristic,Sex Difference,Sex Dimorphisms,Sexual Dichromatisms,Sexual Dimorphisms
D013112 Spiders Arthropods of the class ARACHNIDA, order Araneae. Except for mites and ticks, spiders constitute the largest order of arachnids, with approximately 37,000 species having been described. The majority of spiders are harmless, although some species can be regarded as moderately harmful since their bites can lead to quite severe local symptoms. (From Barnes, Invertebrate Zoology, 5th ed, p508; Smith, Insects and Other Arthropods of Medical Importance, 1973, pp424-430) Spider
D055114 X-Ray Microtomography X-RAY COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY with resolution in the micrometer range. MicroCT,Microcomputed Tomography,X-Ray Micro-CAT Scans,X-Ray Micro-CT,X-Ray Micro-CT Scans,X-Ray Micro-Computed Tomography,X-Ray Microcomputed Tomography,X-ray MicroCT,Xray Micro-CT,Xray MicroCT,Micro-CAT Scan, X-Ray,Micro-CAT Scans, X-Ray,Micro-CT Scan, X-Ray,Micro-CT Scans, X-Ray,Micro-CT, X-Ray,Micro-CT, Xray,Micro-CTs, X-Ray,Micro-CTs, Xray,Micro-Computed Tomography, X-Ray,MicroCT, X-ray,MicroCT, Xray,MicroCTs,MicroCTs, X-ray,MicroCTs, Xray,Microcomputed Tomography, X-Ray,Microtomography, X-Ray,Scan, X-Ray Micro-CAT,Scan, X-Ray Micro-CT,Scans, X-Ray Micro-CAT,Scans, X-Ray Micro-CT,Tomography, Microcomputed,Tomography, X-Ray Micro-Computed,Tomography, X-Ray Microcomputed,X Ray Micro CAT Scans,X Ray Micro CT,X Ray Micro CT Scans,X Ray Micro Computed Tomography,X Ray Microcomputed Tomography,X Ray Microtomography,X ray MicroCT,X-Ray Micro-CAT Scan,X-Ray Micro-CT Scan,X-Ray Micro-CTs,X-ray MicroCTs,Xray Micro CT,Xray Micro-CTs,Xray MicroCTs

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