Cassiusstein
Arachnosquire
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2016
- Messages
- 102
The purpose of this thread is to discuss tarantulas emotions, aswell as the notion of them having no cognitive ability. I have attempted a search on the forums, and yielded no dedicated thread, only small debates within mostly unrelated threads (if I'm wrong please provide a link).
Through my research I have heard two stories that need clarification;
Scenario A: Tarantulas have a very simple brain, consisting of two parts. The upper part intakes information, crude sight, mostly feel, ect.
Quote;
"It has two denominated parts - small upper brain, which gets information from visual and other nerves and lower brain greater size, having star-type form and executing main motor functions. It checks reflex and instinctive beginnings of the tarantula."
Scenario B: tarantulas are only a mass of nerves wih no brain, which begs the question how information is processed and acted upon.
In either scenario I suggest that you challenge your idea of what a brain exactly is, as we do not know exactly what said "mass of nerves" is properly capable of, whether that be emotions or simple instincts.
My personal questions are as follows;
Do tarantulas have decision making capabilities? I.e consciously deciding prey is too large, or one hide is more suitable than another. As opposed to this being instinct, undecidedly followed.
What exactly is the "happy dance" many of us observe tarantulas show when feeding? Is this simply nerves becoming over active due to stimuli? If so is that not the simplified definition of an emotion, proving cognitive ability?
It is proven that jumping spiders (Phiddipus sp.) have thinking abilities. I have attached a study "Observational Learning in the Jumping Spider Phiddipus audax", please notify my if the file does not work. What differs in the nervous system between the Phiddipus sp. and any tarantula species?
Through my research I have heard two stories that need clarification;
Scenario A: Tarantulas have a very simple brain, consisting of two parts. The upper part intakes information, crude sight, mostly feel, ect.
Quote;
"It has two denominated parts - small upper brain, which gets information from visual and other nerves and lower brain greater size, having star-type form and executing main motor functions. It checks reflex and instinctive beginnings of the tarantula."
Scenario B: tarantulas are only a mass of nerves wih no brain, which begs the question how information is processed and acted upon.
In either scenario I suggest that you challenge your idea of what a brain exactly is, as we do not know exactly what said "mass of nerves" is properly capable of, whether that be emotions or simple instincts.
My personal questions are as follows;
Do tarantulas have decision making capabilities? I.e consciously deciding prey is too large, or one hide is more suitable than another. As opposed to this being instinct, undecidedly followed.
What exactly is the "happy dance" many of us observe tarantulas show when feeding? Is this simply nerves becoming over active due to stimuli? If so is that not the simplified definition of an emotion, proving cognitive ability?
It is proven that jumping spiders (Phiddipus sp.) have thinking abilities. I have attached a study "Observational Learning in the Jumping Spider Phiddipus audax", please notify my if the file does not work. What differs in the nervous system between the Phiddipus sp. and any tarantula species?
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