How Mantises Became Nature’s Strangest Assassins
Mantises may be some of the most out-of-this-world-looking critters on Earth, but they’re uniquely adapted to life on this planet. These incredible hunters have repeatedly evolved into “ecomorphs”—groups that aren’t closely related, but share amazing adaptations to similar habitats. Mantis expert and grad student Lohit Garikipati says this happens so consistently in their history that “it’s almost baffling.” These dazzling displays of convergence may have something to tell us about evolution…
Our host, entomologist Jessica Ware, Ph.D., visits Lohit at the Towson University Mantis Lab to see how researchers are using high-speed infrared cameras to track the movements of mantis prey capture. The similarities (and differences) in hunting techniques can help reveal how environments shape the animals that live in them.
#mantis #evolution #ecomorph #ethology
Image: Stagmomantis sp., © Lohit Garikipati
*****
PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateTerra
*****
Subscribe to PBS Terra so you never miss an episode! https://bit.ly/3mOfd77
And keep up with PBS Terra on:
Facebook: / pbsdigitalstudios
Tiktok: / pbsterra
Instagram: / pbsterra
Смотрите видео How Mantises Became Nature’s Strangest Assassins онлайн без регистрации, длительностью часов минут секунд в хорошем качестве. Это видео добавил пользователь PBS Terra 29 Май 2024, не забудьте поделиться им ссылкой с друзьями и знакомыми, на нашем сайте его посмотрели 231,009 раз и оно понравилось 7.3 тысяч людям.