It's not just the dazzling colours and slick moves of Australia's dancing spiders that make them special. There are more than 100 different species of the peacock spider, whereas most animals have only five or ten.
Researchers believe that's partly down to the spider's 'dark DNA' - a mysterious part of the animal's genetic code, and they are studying it to find out more. They think that this dark DNA might enable it to adapt rapidly to changing environmental circumstances by developing into new species.
What the scientists find out, they say, might help to explain why there is so much variation in the natural world. We are interested in how the spiders evolve to become that diverse, Jonah Walker, of the Sanger Institute, told BBC News.
Peacock spiders are found across Australia and each one is the size of a pin head. They create a drumming sound with their feet, a spider song of sorts, while displaying their dazzlingly patterned features. What is remarkable about these creatures is how varied they are in their appearance, songs, and dance moves.
Walker and his team aim to determine which genes influence each spider's traits, contributing to our understanding of biodiversity. They suspect that 'dark DNA', which comprises sections of the genome not classified as genes, plays a crucial role in the evolutionary success of these spiders.
This research is part of a larger initiative, the Earth BioGenome Project, which aims to decipher the genetic codes of all living species over the next decade. By understanding dark DNA, scientists hope to gain insights into the evolutionary mechanisms that have shaped life on Earth.
