It's In The Genes: Fear of Spiders Settled In The Human DNA During The Evolution

A latest study has revealed that people develop a fear of spiders because they were programmed to do so during the human evolution. According to the scientists, spiders posed such a great danger to the human during the early evolution that the fear became inherited in the human DNA of the future generations.

The research was conducted by the scientists at the Columbia University in New York. According to the research, the fear, apparently, came from African ancestors who were surrounded by “killer spiders.” The primitive African ancestors used to spot the spider with their keen ability and kill them out of fear before they themselves struck to harm the person.

"Humans were at perennial, unpredictable and significant risk of encountering highly venomous spiders in their ancestral environments. Even when not fatal, a black widow spider bite in the ancestral world could leave one incapacitated for days or even weeks, terribly exposed to dangers," explained Joshua New from the research team, reported The New Zealand Herald.

The research, conducted by the scientists, measured how quickly a person identifies a spider when a number of images are shown to them. Out of 252 people, a majority of subjects took no time to identify spiders as compared to pictures of other flies and insects that are known to arise a feeling of fear among humans.

On the other hand, Professor Jon May from the Plymouth Univesity claimed that it is the angular legs, colour and freaking sudden movements of the spider that makes human petrified of them. “Spiders just tick all these boxes, and like any phobia, when it builds up in someone's mind they can become scared even seeing a picture,” explained May, reported The New Zealand Herald.

To report an error or to leave a feedback on the article, send an e-mail to emailtoguneet@gmail.com.