Water detection in the desert sand scorpion, Paruroctonus mesaensis (Scorpionida, Vaejovidae)

Gaffin, Douglas D.; Wennstrom, Kira L.; Brownell, Philip

doi:10.1007/bf00199338

Cited by 23 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…17,18,20) to a respiratory organ (Fig. 20), and then later a complex and flexible sensory organ adaptive for terrestrial existence (Gaffin and Brownell, 1990, 1997a, b, 2000Brownell, 1991Brownell, , 2000Gaffin et al, 1991;Farley, 1999aFarley, , 2001.…”

Section: Segmentation Pectines Possible Pre-silurian Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Terres-trialization occurred in the Devonian and Carboniferous periods (Selden and Jeram, 1989;Jeram, 1998Jeram, , 2000. All modern scorpions are terrestrial; their pectines are elaborate mechano-and chemoreceptor organs with a massive topographically organized input to the central nervous system (Gaffin and Brownell, 1990, 1997a, b, 2000Brownell, 1991Brownell, , 2000Gaffin et al, 1991).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Development of segments and appendages in embryos of the desert scorpion Paruroctonus mesaensis (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae)

Farley

2001

Journal of Morphology

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The scanning electron microscope was used to study the changing features of scorpion embryos from the blastula through early stages in the development of appendages. The earliest scorpion fossils (Silurian period) have structures more advanced than the embryos herein, so the possibility is considered that these embryos still retain and display some features indicative of evolutionary patterns in adult pre-Silurian ancestors. The blastodisc stage is followed by a knob-like germinal center that gives rise to most of the embryo body. The germinal center elongates on the ventral surface of the spherical yolk mass. The broad cephalic lobe is first delineated from the following pedipalpal segment. The limbbuds for the pedipalps and anterior walking legs appear, as additional segments are added at a growth zone at the rear of the embryo body. Initially, in the cephalic lobe there are no limbbuds; then the cheliceral buds emerge from the posterior part of the lobe. The stomodeum appears first in the anterior half of the cephalic lobe, but an oral groove forms and the mouth is displaced posteriorly within the groove. This repositioning allows space anteriorly for invagination (semilunar grooves) of epithelium for the brain and medial eyes. The mouth is directed ventrally in all stages of this study. The widespread chelicerae are initially posterior to the mouth, but later move anterior and dorsal to it. Small limbbud bulges on mesosomal segments disappear later and never become protruding appendages. Metasomal segments are produced free from the yolk surface in a ventral flexure beneath the embryo body. The telson starts as two spherical lobes, but later elongates and tapers distally, not yet developing the sharp sting (aculeus) seen in Silurian and all subsequent scorpions. The walking legs are digitigrade, as in most fossil aquatic scorpions. Segments are delineated in the appendages; the chelicerae and pedipalps are divided distally for chela (claw) formation. Bilateral swellings (limbbuds) on the third abdominal segment become larger than the others, indicating the site of pectine formation. The early fin-like pectines are somewhat posterior in the mesosoma, suggesting ancestral swimming, maneuvering, and balancing for the elongate abdomen. The pectinal surface is initially smooth but later transverse striations increase the surface area as a possible respiratory adaptation. Pectinal teeth (present in Silurian and all subsequent scorpions) and forward movement and merging of anterior abdominal segments are not yet evident in embryos of this study.

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Section: Segmentation Pectines Possible Pre-silurian Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of segments and appendages in embryos of the desert scorpion Paruroctonus mesaensis (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae)

Farley

2001

Journal of Morphology

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“…In all, we found 68 adult animals in 1.5 hours while covering an estimated 2.26 ha; this seem to be the most plausible hypotheses, based on known sensory structures. Scorpions have sensitive humidity detectors (tarsal organs) on the dorsal side each of their eight tarsi (Foelix & Schabronath, 1983;Gaffin, et al, 1992). Furthermore, they have constellation arrays at the tips of their pedipalps (Fet et al, 2006) that appear sensitive to slight changes in temperature (Gaffin, unpublished data).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, scorpions have lateral and medial eyes that are physiologically sensitive at starlight levels (Fleissner & Fleissner, 2001) and photoreceptive elements in their tail (Rao & Rao, 1973;Zwicky, 1970) allowing the potential for direct vision of their burrow or orientation to local landmarks or star patterns. They have elaborate midventral chemosensory organs called pectines (Cloudsley-Thompson, 1955;Foelix & Müller-Vorholt, 1983;Gaffin & Brownell, 1997, 2001Wolf, 2008) and multiple taste hairs on their leg tarsi (Foelix & Schabronath, 1983;Gaffin et al, 1992), either or both of which could be used to track self-made chemical trails back to their burrows (Melville et al, 2003). In addition, various other sensilla can transduce mechanical energy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This opens the possibility that a scorpion could detect its own vibrations reflecting off of rocks and other objects, with the absence of a return cue signifying its burrow (Stephens, 2000). Scorpions also have humidity-sensitive tarsal organs (Gaffin et al, 1992) and putative thermo-sensitive constellation arrays on their pedipalps (Fet et al, 2006), which could track temperature and/or humidity gradients radiating from their cool, moist burrows (Bradley, 1988).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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2011

Euscorpius

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Sand scorpions make burrows from which they emerge at night to seek mates and prey. Previous ecological studies have documented scorpion activities on the sand surface. Few studies, however, have videotaped scorpion movements in the context of understanding their sensory neurobiology. Our objective is to understand which signals guide scorpions as they emerge from and return to their burrows. Candidate stimuli include chemical trails, footsteps, celestial patterns, geomagnetic cues, humidity and/or temperature gradients, distinctive scents from the burrow, seismic echolocation, memory, or landmark orientation. We videotaped scorpions to learn whether they return to their burrows by the same path they use as they exit, or whether they use a different route. The answer to this question could help eliminate some of the candidate stimuli from consideration. We used pole-mounted infrared surveillance cameras that relayed images to a digital recorder to monitor and record the movements of sand scorpions (Paruroctonus utahensis) near Monahans, Texas. Two-hour recording blocks of two animals on two consecutive nights revealed that the animals spent most of their time at the thresholds of their burrows, usually emerging briefly after an arthropod walked by. In each case, the scorpions took a looping path that did not retrace the route by which they exited their burrows. In additional experiments we used small lures to seismically entice scorpions from their burrows and monitored their movements as they returned to their burrows. These studies and other observations suggest that many of these sand scorpions do not spend much time on the sand surface; instead, they wait at the threshold of their burrows and ambush prey that wanders nearby.

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Evolutionary challenges of extreme environments (part 2)

Waterman¹

2001

J. Exp. Zool.

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Water detection in the desert sand scorpion, Paruroctonus mesaensis (Scorpionida, Vaejovidae)

Cited by 23 publications

References 11 publications

Development of segments and appendages in embryos of the desert scorpion Paruroctonus mesaensis (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae)

Development of segments and appendages in embryos of the desert scorpion Paruroctonus mesaensis (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae)

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Evolutionary challenges of extreme environments (part 2)

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