Researchers quickly discovered 7 new species of funnel spiders that live in the darkest corners of caves, partially or completely blind.
In the new study, scientists sought to understand the evolutionary relationship between normal-eyed funnel-web spiders that inhabit and inhabit cave entrances, and spiders that live in the darkest corners of caves and seem to have disappeared completely or partially. Opinions, writes Science Alert.
According to study co-author Shlomi Aharon, an ecologist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI), she and her colleagues toured three dozen Israeli caves. They found 26 cave-preferring species, all relying on external conditions, namely light (troglophiles), and living at cave entrances or twilight zones. However, it turned out that 14 species are inhabitants of the darkest regions (troglobites).
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Curiously, half of the 14 people were completely unfamiliar to scientists – 5 had diminutive eyes and 2 were completely blind. According to the ecologist, they discovered that the five species were endemic to different caves, and two more species were found simultaneously in several caves in Galilee and caves in the Ofra karst site.
Next, scientists analyzed the spiders’ DNA and tried to trace their past. It turned out that spiders, which had adapted to their unique cave twilight zones, could unfortunately no longer thrive outside of them. Ecologists say the data show that the new species are evolutionarily closer to species in caves in Mediterranean regions of Southern Europe than species that live in their immediate vicinity at cave entrances in Israel.
The researchers note that the process of vision loss occurs independently in different cave systems, causing the spiders to lose their sight. After that, the original species disappeared locally outside the caves before other related species were able to repopulate them outside.
It is assumed that the extinction occurred about 5 million years ago and that irreversible climate change is responsible for it. According to the ecologist, this study shows the impact of climate change on many endangered habitats around the world. That is why scientists point out that we must do everything to preserve the unique nature of the planet, including underground systems, to understand exactly what processes they were created by.
Previously Focus He wrote that jumping spiders have unique vertebrate abilities.
Source: Focus
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