Portia, jumping spiders that live in tropical forests, often take long detours to stalk other spiders, many of which are deadly killers of Portia. Instead of taking direct routes via which it can approach the prey head-on but with a higher risk of the prey escaping or fighting back, these detours allow Portia to approach unseen. In this process, Portia spend long periods observing the prey and scanning the environment, reminiscent of lions on the African savanna peeking over tall grass while slowly approaching an antelope for a surprise attack. In both cases, the predator seems to be assessing and comparing the rewards and risks of alternative options and forming a plan before taking action. Notably, Portia’s vision is exceptionally good among invertebrates, with visual acuity higher than a cheetah, despite being more than 100 times smaller.
Recently, theoretical and computational models have shown that animals can gain a major advantage by planning ahead during predator-prey interactions when a particular combination of ecological conditions is satisfied. Specifically, both the predator and prey have long-range vision that enables them to assess rewards and risks in real time from a far. In addition, the environment is partially open and partially cluttered, allowing animals to hide their own movement. If this is true, planning may be possible not only in mammals and birds with large brains as often thought, but also in small animals with tiny brains such as Portia, with 1 million times fewer neurons than the human brain.
To test whether this theoretical prediction holds for Portia, we will develop tools and integrate field, lab, and model studies to carry out the first investigation of the detouring behavior of Portia hunting non-Portia jumping spiders, both of which have excellent vision, in patchy environments. Our project is only possible by combining our team members’ diverse, complementary expertise and approaches. This research is a necessary, important first step towards a long-term vision to establish Portia as an exceptionally tractable invertebrate model system for teasing apart the neural basis of planning as a form of sophisticated cognition.
Supervisors:
Ximena Nelson
Key qualifications/skills/knowledge/tools required by a suitable student:
Must have a strong background in biology and good technical skills. Must be proficient at data analysis and have experience working with animals (preferably terrestrial invertebrates).
Does this project come with funding:
Yes. Fees plus about 34,000 NZD per year for three years
Final date for receiving applications:
1st October 2024
Key words:
Animal cognition; jumping spider; planning; animal behavior; comparative cognition; animal behaviour
