When we say the phrase, “Nature red in tooth and claw”, we highlight one of the most common biological systems: puncture weapons (and protection from punctures). Teeth and claws. Horns. Thorns. Ovipositors. Everybody does it. Everybody gets it done to them.
As is generally true, when you look carefully, the physics of biting, stabbing, etc. is complex. There are so many different things to stab, so many ways to stab, and only so much material and energy to grow bodies and execute attacks.
This fall, researchers down the street at the University of Illinois report a wide ranging study of the “energetics and scaling” of biological punctures [1]. The model looks at the general features of puncturing which involves “fracture initiation and propagation—an energy-driven, material-dependent failure process.” ([2], p. 1)
“The model identifies three necessary energy contributions during puncture: fracture creation, elastic deformation of the material and overcoming friction during penetration.”
([2], p. 1)
The resulting model is very general, so it can be applied to many different organisms and also to engineering problems. The model is relatively simple, and biology is complex, so there is plenty of room to elaborate and refine.
But even this initial version may be useful for the investigation of the influence of energetics on evolution. For instance, I imagine there might be interesting insights about the independent development of puncture weapons in different species and in different contexts.
The researchers also note that this model can be used to engineer systems that puncture materials or resist puncturing. Neat.
Nice work.
- Diana Yates, Model calculates energetics of piercing fangs, claws and other biological weapons, in University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign – News, October 18, 2022. https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/325850166
- Bingyang Zhang and Philip S. L. Anderson, Modelling biological puncture: a mathematical framework for determining the energetics and scaling. Journal of The Royal Society Interface, vol. 19, no. 195,, 19 (195) October 2022. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2022.0559
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