How spiders distinguish living from non-living using motion-based visual cues

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2021-07-15 21:30:05

July 15, 2021

by Public Library of Science

Jumping spiders can distinguish living from non-living objects in their peripheral vision using the same cues used by humans and other vertebrate animals, according to a study publishing 15th July 2021 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Massimo De Agrò of Harvard University in the United States.

The ability to detect other living creatures in your surroundings is a key skill for any animal—it is crucial for finding mates, avoiding predators, and catching prey. The movements of vertebrates and invertebrates are distinct from inanimate objects because their rigid, jointed bones and exoskeletons constrain the relative positioning of certain body parts. Most vertebrates can recognize this biological pattern of movement from very limited visual information, such as a point-light display, which shows dots representing the positions of the main joints.