Moontanman Posted February 25, 2010 Report Posted February 25, 2010 Crickets 'Forewarn' Unborn Babies About Spiders ScienceDaily (Feb. 24, 2010) — Just because cricket moms abandon their eggs before they hatch doesn't mean they don't pass wisdom along to their babies. New research in the American Naturalist shows that crickets can warn their unborn babies about potential predator threats. Crickets 'forewarn' unborn babies about spiders Quote
Pyrotex Posted February 25, 2010 Report Posted February 25, 2010 Well, that was enlightening! Obviously, cricket mothers that encounter a wolf spider, use time-traveling telepathy to warn their infant children, who haven't even been hatched (or even laid) yet. Quote
Turtle Posted February 25, 2010 Report Posted February 25, 2010 Well, that was enlightening! Obviously, cricket mothers that encounter a wolf spider, use time-traveling telepathy to warn their infant children, who haven't even been hatched (or even laid) yet. :phones: or, it may be an epigenetic effect. as i understand it, such effects are switched on by environmental factors, and if that switching happens in a sperm or egg or developing zygote, then the offspring may, or may not, show some unique trait. moreover, in the example of sperm, not every individual sperm would necessarily be affected by the environmental factors in the same way. here is something similar in rats. :couple: Early life genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors shaping emotionality in rodents.In rats, postnatal maternal separation can produce lasting increases in emotional behavior and stressor-reactivity, together with alterations in various brain neurotransmitter systems implicated in emotionality, including corticotropin-releasing factor, serotonin, norepinephrine, and glutamate. Genetic differences between inbred mouse strains have been exploited to further study how maternal behavior affects emotional development using techniques such as cross-fostering and generation of inter-strain hybrids. Together with our own recent data, the findings of these studies demonstrate the pervasive influence of maternal and social environments during sensitive developmental periods and reveal how genetic factors determine how these early life experiences can shape brain and behavior throughout life. ... Quote
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