Three of us @evoimec.bsky.social presented about our research on the behavioural ecology of silk spinning in spiders.

Spider running performance varies enormously. We joined forces with David Labonte's Evolutionary Biomechanics lab in London for the broadest spider speed assay so far: 258 spp / 139 families Preprint: doi.org/10.64898/202... Press coverage by the New Scientist: www.newscientist.com/article/2532...

The world's fastest spider tops 3.5 metres per second

The most comprehensive database ever compiled of how fast arachnids can run has shown how leg anatomy and evolutionary history influence spiders’ running speed

newscientist.com

Wow, our ballista spider study was literally catapulted across the media, e.g. BBC, ABC, CNN, New York Times, New Scientist, Spiegel and a lot of regional newspapers, radio and tv stations. We were also highlighted by Nature: www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Daily briefing: Humans and great apes giggle in the same rhythms

The findings hint that vocal motor control might have evolved from a shared ancestor. Plus, sea turtles’ navigation skills are only so-so and what’s next for the International Space Station.

nature.com

Very excited to share our discovery of an engineering masterpiece from the Australian rainforest! In our latest paper in @currentbiology.bsky.social we report a hunting strategy in a spider, whose web outperforms every known biological catapult system.

The #Australian ballista #spider (Propostira sp.) uses its silk's elastic energy storage capacity to build the most powerful snare and selective in the #animal kingdom. Read about our discovery here: doi.org/10.1016/j.cu... Video by Ajay Narendra. Recorded with 3,000 fps, playback 100x slowed down!

found this when looking through old excursion photos - can you spot the spider?

Spiders possess multiple types of silk glands, which produce silk materials with contrasting properties. What happens if they combine different silks into a single line - Does this reinforce, even toughen, the silk thread? We got some answers from cellar and cave spiders: doi.org/10.1039/D5SM... 🔓

🕸️ Massive web stretch from our cribellating friend (Asianopis subrufa) recorded in the field. If you’re intrigued by this fabulous #spider #silk read on doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2529200123 by @evoimec.bsky.social et al :) 🕸️

🕸️ The #silk of this gorgeous little cribellator is not your standard silk - read @evoimec.bsky.social new study here: doi.org/10.1073/pnas... 🕸️

Netcasting spiders modulate silk thread stiffness via a tailorable multi-fibre meta-structure to construct a web that is hyperelastic and high load-bearing at the same time. Read about our discovery in PNAS: doi.org/10.1073/pnas... 🔓 & with video content!

@maitryjani.bsky.social from my lab @evoimec.bsky.social talks about her scientific journey and newest paper in @jexpbiol.bsky.social ERC Spotlight: journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...

Just back from a productive writing retreat of @evoimec.bsky.social and @multipleye-lab.bsky.social on the remote island of Hiddensee. Look out for new papers coming up from our labs!

Lauren Sumner-Rooney@laurensr.bsky.social · 8mo ago

On the beautiful island of Hiddensee for a writing retreat with @evoimec.bsky.social @multipleye-lab.bsky.social ✍🏼👩🏼‍💻 enormous thanks to @wolffspider.bsky.social for the invitation (and his trusty suitcase full of snacks...) #outofoffice

We're excited to announce the finalists of the #RSPPhotoComp 2025! 🎉 Starting with #microimaging and overall winner, 'Mesmerizing spider threads' by Dr Martin Ramirez, capturing two exceptional silk threads of the Australian net-caster spider (sample obtained by Dr Jonas Wolff @evoimec.bsky.social).

Very nice visualisation of sexual dimorphism in arthropod jump performance 😎

Ajay Narendra@pipilika.bsky.social · last yr.

Our latest paper on the jump kinematics and choreography in the Oz Splendid Peacock spider. We filmed & analysed locomotory jumps in male & female spiders. The males are incredibly light - measuring just 2mg - and oh they can jump! Videos in the thread. Open Access - read here: tinyurl.com/4bnpz9tz

Are you interested in learning about how engineering and physics can be applied to study the motions of #plants, #invertebrates, and #animals? Here's a non-exhaustive list of Comparative Biomechanists to get started! 🦋 🐟 🦎 🌿 🧪 go.bsky.app/HvHFgvB Apologies for any that I may have been missed.

Check out the beautiful light arts in our little city. Featuring an animation of bird flight that you get going by running inside the installation. #Kinematics / #biomechanics meets arts.

Dr. Jonas Wolff@wolffspider.bsky.social · last yr.

Beautiful light art at the Shining Lights festival in #Greifswald - with several biological motifs 🤩 Very nice idea to make the cold and dark season a little brighter - should become a regular event! One installation features the #kinematics of #birdflight and it's interactive 🤯😊

Eight legs to bring a little joy to your timeline (skyline?). Zoropsis spinimana, aka the “Nosferatu spider.” Isn’t she so cute? 🥹 Thank you to @wolffspider.bsky.social and your lab @evoimec.bsky.social for a warm welcome in Greifswald! Please follow them and their amazing work!

We are looking forward to an exciting new year of science. Which fascinating new discoveries will it bring?