Paul S. Shamble, John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellow, Harvard University, will discuss "How Spiders Jump."
Paul S. Shamble, John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellow, Harvard University, will discuss "How Spiders Jump."
Jumping is a way of life for jumping spiders (Salticidae). With seeming ease, they regularly leap gaps many times their body length. In reality, jumping presents fundamental physical and physics-based challenges. Salticids have evolved unique ways of overcoming some of the constraints inherent to this form of locomotion. This talk will explore the mechanisms of jumping in a multi-legged, silk-producing system. Using the common jumping spider Salticus scenicus, we developed a high-speed camera system to quantify jumps and to experimentally manipulate silk-tension. We ask how spider silk is used to control orientation and trajectory—even mid-flight—and discuss the application of these findings to future research on novel forms of locomotor control and the evolution of spider silk.
Register here.
http://harvard.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JTJ1tNN0S5qONZ6BOitRnw
Contact:
Christian Flynn