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> What amazes me about spiders is their complex unlearned behavior. No trapdoor spider learns how to build a trap. No orb weaver learns how to spin a web. Trap/
by philipwhiuk 2y ago
> What amazes me about spiders is their complex unlearned behavior. No trapdoor spider learns how to build a trap. No orb weaver learns how to spin a web. Trap/web building behavior is entirely programmed in their DNA.
Do we really have evidence for this rather than observation and communication from parents to offspring. I'm deeply skeptical.
- seszett 2y agoSpiders that hatch without their parents around build the same webs as any other spider from the same species. This behaviour is really not something that leaves any space for being sceptical.
- edanm 2y agoI have no idea about this, but, how hard would it be in theory to test? Just remove a spider from any other spiders and see if they develop that behavior. I don't know if the parent comment represented the expert consensus correctly, but if they did, I wouldn't automatically be skeptical of it.
- berkes 2y agowe do https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature_versus_nurture#Intelligence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature_versus_nurture#Intellig... That evidence is compelling and well-reviewed. But that evidence is also countered with other evidence: the debate isn't settled. But it's undoubtedly clear that a part of our intelligence and other personality traits are inherited: coded into our DNA. What's not settled, is how much.
- indigoabstract 2y agoIs it too much to believe that both hardware (built-in) and software (flexible) parts are employed in nature?