Spider Evolution: Genetics, Behavior, and Ecological Influences

Spider Evolution: Genetics, Behavior, and Ecological Influences provides a thorough exploration of the evolutionary trail of arachnids, particularly spider species, from prehistoric origins to current sustainability issues. This book analyzes extinct organisms in the Arachnida class, specifically looking at their phylogenomics and molecular footprints to understand evolutionary changes in diversification in today’s species. Sections cover spider origins and their influences on behavioral traits, physiology of sensory organs, and biomechanics, also touching on spiders as prey and predators and how their roles have changed in the 400 million years of Arachnida existence.

The book then focuses upon current environmental issues facing spider species and how these have, and can, affect the evolution of these organisms. Topics include biodiversity minimization, climate change and natural disasters. This book is a much-needed resource for entomologists and arachnid- or arthropod-driven researchers. Advanced undergraduate and graduate students will also benefit from the historic review, current assessment and future predictions of spider evolution provided in this book.

• Provides a complete view of spider species from their first fossil evidence nearly 400 million years ago
• Focuses on climate change and biodiversity threats as environmental factors currently affecting these organisms
• Contains the most up-to-date knowledge on evolutionary genetics, physiology changes and behavioral outcomes

Dr. Subir R. Kundu is a senior researcher conducting extensive studies on “in situ” conservation models at the University of Calcutta in Kolkata, India. Previously, he was a senior research fellow at the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Gardens under the Botanical Survey of India in Howrah, India. Dr. Kundu received his MSc. in botany from Kanpur University, Kanpur India, specializing in cytogenics and plant breeding; he then received his Ph.D. in botany from the University of Calcutta, specializing in plant geography, systematic botany, and conservation biology. He is the author of four botany and conservation-related books and numerous journal publications on conservation and evolutionary biology.