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The weird spider that produces milk


Photo credit: Sarefo, Wiki Commons

December 06, 2018

Scientists have discovered a spider that, uncharacteristically for its kind, nurtures its young and produces a fluid with milk-like properties.

Katie Hinde, a lactation expert and an associate professor in Arizona State University's School of Human Evolution and Social Change and the Center for Evolution and Medicine, commented on whether the substance can truly be considered milk, as well as what it can tell us about biological life on earth.

“We can call it spider milk. I’m not hung up on it coming from a mammary gland. I’m interested in how it supports development,” she said. “These rare variants across the animal kingdom give us really exciting insights into the evolution of parental care.”

Read the full article to learn more.

Article source: The Atlantic

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