Scientists did not create a new species of spider. In a 2021 study, researchers used RNA interference to reduce the activity of specific genes in embryos of the harvestman Phalangium opilio. The gene knockdowns changed how some appendages developed: some legs became pedipalps, while other treatments shortened appendages or removed small segments from the legs.
What animal did the scientists study?
The animal was Phalangium opilio, a harvestman in the arachnid order Opiliones. Harvestmen are arachnids, but they are not spiders. “Daddy longlegs” is a common name used for different animals; in this study it referred to a harvestman. The phrase “spider-like creatures” is headline shorthand, not the animal’s classification. The study, published online August 4, 2021, in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, reported a draft genome for the species and experiments on genes involved in appendage development.
How did the researchers change gene activity?
The team used RNA interference (RNAi), a method for reducing the activity of a targeted gene. This was experimental gene knockdown in embryos—not evidence of a naturally occurring mutation, a new species, or a stable inherited mutant line. For the harvestman experiments, researchers injected double-stranded RNA into approximately two-thirds of each egg clutch; the remaining third received water as a negative control.
What changed when different genes were knocked down?
The outcomes depended on which developmental gene, or combination of genes, was targeted. The results were not simply that every treated animal had shorter legs.
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| Gene treatment | Reported appendage outcome |
|---|---|
| Deformed (Dfd) knockdown | Two pairs of legs developed as pedipalps, and the longest leg pair was markedly shortened. |
| Combined Dfd and Sex combs reduced (Scr) knockdown | The transformation of the third leg pair (L3) required the combined knockdown. |
| Epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr) knockdown | Appendages were shortened and lost tarsomeres—the small subdivisions of the distal leg. |
Pedipalps are paired appendages near the mouth, distinct from walking legs. The transformation results therefore show a change in appendage identity, while shortening and tarsomere loss are different developmental effects.
What do the findings say about daddy longlegs’ long legs?
The researchers aimed to understand the developmental basis and evolution of arachnid appendages, including the harvestman’s conspicuously elongated legs. In a 2021 statement quoted by Futurism, study researcher Guilherme Gainett said: “The genome of the daddy long legs holds great potential to clarify the complex history of arachnid genome evolution and body plan, as well as to reveal how daddy long legs make their unique long legs.” The genome and gene-knockdown results offer tools and evidence for studying development; they do not, by themselves, explain every step in the evolution of long legs.
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Did the study create genetically modified harvestmen?
It demonstrated temporary experimental changes in gene activity during embryo development. The reported work does not establish a transgenic harvestman line or show that the changes were inherited by later generations. Gainett also told Futurism in 2021 that the team was interested in using the genome to develop the first transgenic harvestmen; that was a stated future interest, not an outcome of this study.
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