Are Jumping Spiders Capable of Innovation?

Betsy Mason Innovation is one of those abilities we used to think only humans possessed. But you’ve probably heard about the creative problem solving of New Caledonian crows who are able to build tools by bedding wires to fish food out of holes. Captive orcas have been observed chewing up the dead fish they are fed and spitting them onto the surface of their pools to attract gulls that they then prey on. And elephants are known to pile logs onto electric fences to create a safe crossing. Most animals that are widely considered capable of innovation are mammals and birds, and scientists point to three things these these species have that are likely prerequisites for this ability: big brains, long lifespans, and complex social lives. Spiders, on the other hand, are tiny, short-lived, and mostly solitary. They seem like unlikely innovators, but a new study suggests we may have underestimated spiders’ cognitive capabilities. Again. It may be hard to believe that a spider could be capable…