By Pallab Ghosh
Copyright bbc
Peacock spiders are found across Australia and each one is the size of a pin head. It is so-named because of the brilliant colours males have on their abdomen, which they show off in a beguiling mating ritual.
They create a drumming sound with their feet, a spider song of sorts, and move rhythmically while displaying their dazzlingly patterned features. What is remarkable about these creatures is how varied they are in their appearance, songs and dance moves.
Mr Walker used to be scared of spiders, but he overcame his phobia because he was so drawn to the science behind the spiders and took the project on as part of his PhD research.
“When I told friends and family that I was going to study spiders in Australia I got some worried looks and I was obviously apprehensive myself. But just a few seconds of watching them dance was enough for any fears to be washed away.”
Mr Walker worked with his group leader, Dr Jonana Meier and an international team to collect each and every one of the species discovered so far.
They then painstakingly categorised precise details about each one’s behaviour, movement and songs. The final piece of the jigsaw was to cross-reference all this information with the DNA of each species.
