A 'mathematical' spider living on gravel plains of the Namib Desert
In certain areas of the Namib gravel plains a new Ariadna sp. was discovered. It rims its vertical burrow with a stone circle, made on average of seven quartz stones. Some mathematical relationships between hole diameter, stone sizes and weight, and animal size were studied. A correlation was found, and stone selection by this spider postulated. Different hypotheses on the adaptive value of stone circle are suggested. Keywords: Ariadna sp., gravel plains, Namib Desert, mathematical relationships, animal size, stone circle, hole diameter.
Journal of Arid Environments
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A mathematical spider living on gravel plains of the Namib Desert.pdf | 1.85 MB |