Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Science

Warm temperatures disrupt spider sex-changing bacteria across generations

A new study reveals that exposing dwarf spiders to a brief period of warm temperatures can disrupt a phenomenon in which internal bacteria normally force genetic males to develop as females. Surprisingly, this reproductive disruption skips the directly heated spiders and hits their children and gran...

Warm temperatures disrupt spider sex-changing bacteria across generations
Image: Phys.org
A new study reveals that exposing dwarf spiders to a brief period of warm temperatures can disrupt a phenomenon in which internal bacteria normally force genetic males to develop as females. Surprisingly, this reproductive disruption skips the directly heated spiders and hits their children and grandchildren instead, leading to a sudden comeback of male offspring.

Originally published at Phys.org

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