[Taxacom] Mygalomorph ballooning

[brpatric at dwu.edu]

A few arachnologists have chimed in to a question from me about
mygalomorphs and ballooning.  It seems that at least a few species have
been observed ballooning.  This is very rare, but nevertheless possible.
No mention of whether Masteria has been observed ballooning (and I
specifically asked about that genus).  As with all of biology, there
seems to be an exception to every rule...

----------------------------------------------------------------
L. Brian Patrick, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biology and Chair
Department of Biological Sciences
Dakota Wesleyan University
1200 W. University Ave.
Mitchell, SD  57301


-----Original Message-----
From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
[mailto:taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of John Grehan
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2012 8:03 AM
To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Mygalomorph ballooning

Heads has already pointed out that all organisms have a means of
dispersal. To 'explain' distributions by a presumed role for that
dispersal ability is to explain nothing if one then ignores the
geographic character of any one organism with respect to any other. The
tectonic correlations for the biogeography of taxa suggests that the
means of dispersal operated with respect to the geological (and
associated environmental conditions) history of those tectonics.

John Grehan

-----Original Message-----
From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
[mailto:taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Kenneth Kinman
Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2012 10:44 PM
To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
Subject: [Taxacom] Mygalomorph ballooning

Dear All,                 
     A paper by Coyle, 1983 entitled "Aerial dispersal by mygalomorph
spiderlings" (Journal of Arachnology, 11:283-286) discusses the
literature on mygalomorph ballooning published up until that date.  But
as I stated, I suspect that such behavior is probably rarely observed in
such cryptic small mygalomorphs.   
       ----------Ken  



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