How do spiders see the world? Most people would rather not get close enough to find out. But the Morehouse Lab at the University of Cincinnati, headed by PEWS faculty affiliate Nate Morehouse, is showing us all just how fascinating the lives of spiders and insects can be. The lab studies the sexual evolution of these creatures, including color use during courtship and foraging, co-evolution between visual systems and visual signals, and evolutionary dynamics between male seminal fluid proteins and the female reproductive tract.
Their work has recently been featured in two shows, bringing insights to broader audiences about how jumping spiders (Habronattus pyrrithrix) use their unique form of color vision to navigate their worlds. Read more and follow the links to the episodes below!
Over the past several years, the Morehouse lab has worked extensively with a BBC Natural History team on an episode of their new show The Secret Lives of Animals. Some of the lab’s work with jumping spiders was the focus of Episode 8, “Finding a Partner.” The episode is now available on Apple TV+. Watch The Secret Lives of Animals here!
The Morehouse lab was also featured on the YouTube channel Veritasium in an episode called “What Jumping Spiders Teach Us About Color.” Did you know that, in a narrow slice of the jumping spider’s vision, they can see patterns in the world better than dogs, cats, and even elephants? That’s a lot of power for such a small eye!
The Youtube video was released less than a year ago and has already been viewed by close to 4 million people. Watch the video and learn more about the amazing world of jumping spider vision below!
Want to learn more? Check out various publications by the Morehouse lab, or visit their website!
