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Creative problem solving in a jumping spider.

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Τίτλος: Creative problem solving in a jumping spider.
Συγγραφείς: Wang YR; State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China.; Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan 666303, China., Jiang C; Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan 666303, China.; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China., Zeng Y; Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620, USA., Campos-Arceiz A; Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan 666303, China.; Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan 666303, China., Liu JX; Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan 666303, China. E-mail: liujx@xtbg.org.cn., Jiao X; State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China. E-mail: jiaoxg@hubu.edu.cn., Chen Z; Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan 666303, China. E-mail: chenzhanqi@xtbg.ac.cn.
Πηγή: Zoological research [Zool Res] 2026 Sep 18; Vol. 47 (5), pp. 1703-1713. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 May 22.
Τύπος έκδοσης: Journal Article
Γλώσσα: English
Στοιχεία περιοδικού: Publisher: Science Press Country of Publication: China NLM ID: 101697192 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2095-8137 (Print) Linking ISSN: 20958137 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Zool Res Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: Beijing, China : Science Press, 2016-
Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): Problem Solving*/physiology , Spiders*/physiology , Behavior, Animal*/physiology, Animals ; Female
Περίληψη: Behavioural innovation, a key indicator of advanced cognition, has been well documented across animal taxa and manifests as creative problem-solving. Typical innovators such as apes and corvids can spontaneously solve complex, multi-step tasks individually without prior training. Innovative behaviours in arthropods-honeybees, bumblebees, and ants-are probably underestimated because their innovative behaviours are often considered products of associative learning, group-level processes, or one-step problem-solving. Here, we challenge this view by demonstrating spontaneous, individual-level innovation in nest construction by the social-living jumping spider Toxeus maxillosus, without prior training or external demonstration. Under four challenging laboratory conditions, T. maxillosus females exhibited the core components of typical innovative behaviours: environmental exploration, behavioural flexibility, insight, and action planning. Furthermore, in a vertical string-pulling task (a benchmark test of animal innovation), half of the spiders pulled an out-of-reach sponge upward and incorporated it into the inner wall of the device, thereby creating a suitable microstructure for nest construction. These behaviours demonstrate multi-step, goal-directed object manipulation. Our findings suggest that arthropods are capable of individual-level, spontaneous innovation involving planning and multi-step sequences, akin to those observed in typical innovators. We propose that a social lifestyle centred on prolonged maternal care-a trait shared by T. maxillosus and many vertebrate innovators-rather than large brain size or long lifespan, may be a critical evolutionary driver of such cognitive complexity. This study challenges the vertebrate-centric view of typical innovation and provides a new framework for understanding the evolution of cognition across phylogenetic scales.
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Contributed Indexing: Keywords: Innovative behaviour; Parental care; Problem-solving; Spider cognition; Toxeus maxillosus
Local Abstract: [Publisher, Chinese] 行为创新，即动物在解决问题方面的创造性，是动物具备复杂认知能力的核心指标，在很多动物类群中都有报道。典型创新型动物（如类人猿和鸦科鸟类）在无需经过训练的条件下即可单独完成多步骤任务。然而，节肢动物（如蜜蜂、熊蜂、蚂蚁）的创新行为常被视为是联想学习的结果，因为他们的行为创新常依赖群体完成或个体层面只能完成单步骤任务挑战。本研究通过一系列实验证明了大蚁蛛（ Toxeus maxillosus）可在无预先训练的条件下，在建造繁殖巢的过程中表现出个体层面的多步骤创新行为。在四种严苛的挑战条件下，雌性大蚁蛛展现出了典型创新行为的所有核心特征：环境探索、行为灵活性、洞察力与行动规划。此外，在垂直拉绳任务（动物创新能力的经典验证实验）中，有一半的个体可通过拉升获得原本无法触及的海绵片，并将其整合于实验装置内壁创造出适宜筑巢的微环境从而实现繁殖巢建造。该行为表明大蚁蛛具备完成多步骤、目标导向任务的能力。本研究表明节肢动物拥有与社会性脊椎动物相似的创新能力，即在无训练的前提下，可通过个体水平的行动规划完成多步骤挑战性任务的能力。这表明以长期母亲抚育为基础的社会性生活史模式（该特征为大蚁蛛与典型脊椎动物创新者所共有），而非脑容量或寿命，可能是促进复杂认知能力演化的决定性因素。本研究打破了传统上以脊椎动物为中心的创新能力研究框架，为从系统发育尺度上理解动物认知的演化过程提供了新的研究视角。.
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260908 Date Completed: 20260908 Latest Revision: 20260909
Update Code: 20260909
DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2025.527
PMID: 42706796
Βάση Δεδομένων: MEDLINE
Περιγραφή
ISSN:2095-8137
DOI:10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2025.527