All articles tagged with #polymorphism
Researchers describe Theridion himalayana from Uttarakhand, a Himalayan spider with the same red smile as Hawaii’s happy-face spider, but mitochondrial DNA shows a ~8.5% divergence from Theridion grallator, supporting a distinct new species; the study documents 32 color morphs, various habitats, and flags questions about whether the grin evolved twice or from a shared ancestor.
A Himalayan spider discovered in Uttarakhand, Theridion himalayana, exhibits 32 color morphs and mirrors Hawaii’s iconic happy-face pattern, illustrating convergent evolution across distant ecosystems. Genetic analysis shows an 8.5% difference from the Hawaiian species, placing the new spider on a distinct evolutionary path. Found above 2,000 meters and often on Hedychium plants, the discovery—published in Evolutionary Systematics—came about accidentally during ant surveys, and the purpose of the patterns remains under investigation.