SPIDER FAMILIES. “Most of the current diversity of spiders results from 2 major radiations −RTA clade (>21,000 spp.) and Orbiculariae (>11,000 spp.). The putative sister group of Orbiculariae in our hypothesis, the RTA clade, is even more diverse (>21,000). Hence, we cannot, by sister group comparison alone, claim that the invention of the orb web per se dramatically affected diversification rates. Notably, the most diverse families of spiders within the RTA clade are largely, or entirely webless, and have secondarily lost cribellate silk.”
http://www.pnas.org/content/106/13/5229.full
linkedin post 2022-06-29 05:12:48
Nigel Fleming
September 21, 2022