Bumps on peacock spider make dark spots super-dark

A team of researchers with members from Harvard University, the University of Bonn, the University of Denmark and Yale University has identified bumps on the abdomens of male peacock spiders that make their dark-colored patches ...

Rainbow peacock spiders may inspire new optical technologies

Even if you are arachnophobic, you probably have seen pictures or videos of Australian peacock spiders (Maratus spp.). These tiny spiders are only 1-5 mm long but are famous for their flamboyant courtship displays featuring ...

Peacock colors inspire 'greener' way to dye clothes

"Fast fashion" might be cheap, but its high environmental cost from dyes polluting the water near factories has been well documented. To help stem the tide of dyes from entering streams and rivers, scientists report in the ...

Study explains evolution phenomenon that puzzled Darwin

Why do some animals have extravagant, showy ornaments—think elk and deer antlers, peacock feathers and horns on dung beetles—that can be a liability to survival? Charles Darwin couldn't figure it out, but now a Northwestern ...

Perseverance pays off with peacock spiders

Seven new species of spiders, whose kin have taken the world by storm with their adorable appearance and mesmerising dance moves, have been discovered in WA and South Australia.

Peacocks shake feathers to mesmerize mates

Call it a shimmy meant to hypnotize. When courting a female, peacocks fan their colorful rear feathers and shake them, but somehow keep their plumes' iridescent circles, or eyespots, nearly still, like a fixed stare.

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