The bigfoot eroticismnext time you spot a spider hanging upside down in your apartment, it might actually be snoozing somewhat like humans.
Behavioral ecologist Daniela Rößler made this accidental finding when she first observed jumping spiders dangling in her laboratory in 2020. Rößler and her research team recently publishedtheir findings in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Rößler, a researcher at the University of Konstanz in Germany, originally set out to study predator-prey interactions in spiders. She used baby spiders for her experiment, and opportunistically filmed the animals at night using an infrared camera.
The spiders exhibited something like rapid eye movements (REM), a behavior we and many animals often experience when sleeping. During REM, activities in the body such as heart rate escalate, while the eyes remain closed and move rapidly.
SEE ALSO: A big spider will spread in the U.S. No, it won't 'parachute' down.This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
While watching the spiders, the research team also observed the animals occasionally twitching their limbs, another classic REM behavior. Together, these findings suggest that a dreamy, sleep-like state could exist in spiders. There is already evidence fruit flies sleep. But this is the first time the REM pattern was documented in a jumping spider, said Rößler.
But what looks like sleep to us may or may not be sleep in spiders. Though the research team’s findings very much suggest that spiders do sleep, the evidence isn't yet certain, noted Rößler.
"If we really want to understand the function of sleep, we need to look at it where it happens."
As an extension of this research, Rößler is planning to conduct sleep studies in a field atmosphere as opposed to capturing spiders and studying them in an artificial lab environment. "If we really want to understand the function of sleep, we need to look at it where it happens," she explained.
Yet the lab setting still produced compelling results. It is awell donestudy that has documented twitching in spiders, said Mark Blumberg, a professor at the University of Iowa who researches twitching and REM sleep in rats and human infants. Blumberg was not part of this newly published study.
Want more scienceand tech news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newslettertoday.
Blumberg acknowledged that it's tricky to study sleep in animals, because animals may experience sleep differently than us. "I agree with much of the study. I don't agree with everything about it," Blumberg told Mashable. The nervous system of a spider or fly is very different from that of a rat or a human, and so we cannot expect all features of sleep to be similar in spiders, he emphasized.
Rößler’s study touched on the possibility of spiders dreaming during sleep, thanks to the eye movement patternsthe arachnidsexperienced in REM sleep. During REM sleep, vivid hallucinogenic dreamsoccur in humans. The new study raises the potential of studying the existence of visual dreams in spiders. But in Blumberg's view, the dream connection is too uncertain, and unconvincing.
"I think we're gonna find amazing things in the next couple years."
For Rößler, dreaming in spiders also remains a big question. She hopes to better understandif humans can even fathom how a spider might dream, if they dream at all. "We always have this human bias in trying to understand the world," she said.
There’s still a lot to unearth about sleep in animals. But more insights may be on the way. "I think we're gonna find amazing things in the next couple years," Rößler said.
NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for February 11: Tips to solve Connections #141
Adverts on the Tube have been 'hacked' to spread an important message
This NFL quarterback is the MVP of yelling things
A drone's eye into Samsung's San Jose headquarters reveals a city
Elon Musk's DOGE.gov website can apparently be edited by anyone
Gigi Hadid kind of apologizes for Melania impression at the AMAs
Voting, cyber and political experts write letter demanding Russia hacking investigation
CNN puts neo
Best iPad deal: Save $70 on 10th Gen Apple iPad
The future of high
AI action figure trend: What it is and how to make yours
In Australia, a 25
8 ways to consume news without using Facebook
The Fondoodler is the hot glue gun for cheese America deserves
Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers 2025 livestream: Watch NBA online
Tommy Hilfiger says designers should 'be proud' to dress Melania Trump
Donald Trump cancels, then uncancels, meeting with the 'not nice' New York Times
Being sexist can be bad for a man's psychological health, too
How to make a hook in a TikTok video
Here's who Rory Gilmore should end up with, according to science
The Edison of the Slot Machines by Michael LaPointeStaff Picks: Scenes, Screens, and Snubs by The Paris ReviewBest Lego deals: Several Lego sets are up to 36% off at Amazon and will arrive before Dec. 25Lovers Green Monday sale: Get 20% off sitewideWatch Series 9: Apple's lastHow to expand your photos using AI on TikTokEli Rallo's 'I Didn't Know I Needed This' book launch brings TikTok to lifeRedux: Even Forests Engage in a Form of Family Planning by The Paris ReviewSilicon Valley Hustling: An Interview with Anna Wiener by Pete TosielloStaff Picks: Scenes, Screens, and Snubs by The Paris ReviewThe Closeting of Carson McCullers by Jenn ShaplandThe Artist’s Hypothesis by The Paris ReviewBravo drama ruled 2023: 'Vanderpump' Scandoval, DUIs, and a reality TV reckoningOur favorite TikTokkers of 2023: Francesca Scorsese, Meatdad, and moreFirst Snow by Jill TalbotStaff Picks: Sex, StandRedux: Knowing It Would End by The Paris ReviewSave on the Peloton bike and accessories at AmazonThe Closeting of Carson McCullers by Jenn ShaplandStaff Picks: Gossip, Ghosts, and Growth by The Paris Review Samsung Galaxy Book S: Hands on with the Snapdragon 8cx Samsung launches its most powerful mobile chip yet Samsung deleted ads that mocked iPhone for its lack of headphone jack Single mom builds a house from the ground up using YouTube tutorials Darth Vader hot air balloon finally flies over its hometown in Bristol Distant galaxies get busy under Hubble's watchful eye Seth Rogen uses 1 At least 1,000 more buses ask to park for Women's March than Trump's inauguration Galarian Weezing looks like a posh bong in new 'Pokémon' trailer: Watch Upskirting isn't illegal in Germany. These activists want to change that. Apple released a bunch of ASMR videos for some reason Apple might update iPad Pros with three rear cameras Hey, parents: You don't owe strangers candy for sitting next to your babies Lady Gaga's foundation to fund projects in Dayton, El Paso, and Gilroy Google's efforts to fight scams may make phone repairs more expensive Turns out your office printer is a huge cybersecurity risk For Season 3, 'GLOW' stays in Vegas while everyone changes How 'Control's mechanics helped shape the supernatural game #TBT: Young Joe Biden was a dapper man indeed 'Succession' soars higher and hits harder in Season 2: Review
1.42s , 10196.5546875 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【bigfoot eroticism】,Exquisite Information Network