Scholars@Duke
Sheila N Patek

Sheila N Patek

Mrs. Alexander Hehmeyer Professor
Biology
snp2@duke.edu
Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708-0338
014 Bio Sci Bldg, Durham, NC 27708

Selected Publications

JEB launches a new article type for theory and modelling studies.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · December 2024 Full text Cite

Through the looking glass: attempting to predict future opportunities and challenges in experimental biology.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · December 2023 To celebrate its centenary year, Journal of Experimental Biology (JEB) commissioned a collection of articles examining the past, present and future of experimental biology. This Commentary closes the collection by considering the important research opportu ... Full text Cite

Elastic pinch biomechanisms can yield consistent launch speeds regardless of projectile mass.

Journal Article Journal of the Royal Society, Interface · August 2023 Energetic trade-offs are particularly pertinent to bio-ballistic systems which impart energy to projectiles exclusively during launch. We investigated such trade-offs in the spring-propelled seeds of Loropetalum chinense, Hamamelis virginiana ... Full text Cite

Tradeoffs explain scaling, sex differences, and seasonal oscillations in the remarkable weapons of snapping shrimp (Alpheus spp.).

Journal Article eLife · May 2023 Evolutionary theory suggests that individuals should express costly traits at a magnitude that optimizes the trait bearer's cost-benefit difference. Trait expression varies across a species because costs and benefits vary among individuals. For example, if ... Full text Cite

Latch-mediated spring actuation (LaMSA): the power of integrated biomechanical systems.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · April 2023 Across the tree of life - from fungi to frogs - organisms wield small amounts of energy to generate fast and potent movements. These movements are propelled with elastic structures, and their loading and release are mediated by latch-like opposing forces. ... Full text Cite

Weapon performance and contest assessment strategies of the cavitating snaps in snapping shrimp

Journal Article Functional Ecology · February 1, 2023 Animals compete in contests over limited resources. Contestants forfeit once they ascertain that their opponent has greater resource-holding potential (RHP; mutual assessment) or once they reach a threshold of costs (self-assessment). Functional scaling st ... Full text Cite

Developing elastic mechanisms: ultrafast motion and cavitation emerge at the millimeter scale in juvenile snapping shrimp.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · February 2023 Organisms such as jumping froghopper insects and punching mantis shrimp use spring-based propulsion to achieve fast motion. Studies of elastic mechanisms have primarily focused on fully developed and functional mechanisms in adult organisms. However, the o ... Full text Cite

Geometric latches enable tuning of ultrafast, spring-propelled movements.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · January 2023 The smallest, fastest, repeated-use movements are propelled by power-dense elastic mechanisms, yet the key to their energetic control may be found in the latch-like mechanisms that mediate transformation from elastic potential energy to kinetic energy. Her ... Full text Cite

Spring and latch dynamics can act as control pathways in ultrafast systems.

Journal Article Bioinspiration & biomimetics · January 2023 Ultrafast movements propelled by springs and released by latches are thought limited to energetic adjustments prior to movement, and seemingly cannot adjust once movement begins. Even so, across the tree of life, ultrafast organisms navigate dynamic enviro ... Full text Cite

Scaling of offensive capacity and endurance in a cavitation-based animal weapon

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · 2023 Cite

Mantis Shrimp Locomotion: Coordination and Variation of Hybrid Metachronal Swimming.

Journal Article Integrative organismal biology (Oxford, England) · January 2023 Across countless marine invertebrates, coordination of closely spaced swimming appendages is key to producing diverse locomotory behaviors. Using a widespread mechanism termed hybrid metachronal propulsion, mantis shrimp swim by moving five paddle-like ple ... Full text Cite

JEB@100: an interview with Deputy Editor-in-Chief Sheila Patek

Journal Article Journal of Experimental Biology · January 1, 2023 Full text Cite

Dual spring force couples yield multifunctionality and ultrafast, precision rotation in tiny biomechanical systems.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · July 2022 Small organisms use propulsive springs rather than muscles to repeatedly actuate high acceleration movements, even when constrained to tiny displacements and limited by inertial forces. Through integration of a large kinematic dataset, measurements of elas ... Full text Cite

Looking to the future: Building New Paradigms in Comparative Physiology and Biomechanics.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · March 2022 Full text Cite

Correction: Adhesive latching and legless leaping in small, worm-like insect larvae.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · February 2022 Full text Cite

Hybrid Metachronal Rowing Augments Swimming Speed and Acceleration via Increased Stroke Amplitude.

Journal Article Integrative and comparative biology · November 2021 Numerous aquatic invertebrates use drag-based metachronal rowing for swimming, in which closely spaced appendages are oscillated starting from the posterior, with each appendage phase-shifted in time relative to its neighbor. Continuously swimming species ... Full text Cite

A physical model of mantis shrimp for exploring the dynamics of ultrafast systems.

Journal Article Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · August 2021 Efficient and effective generation of high-acceleration movement in biology requires a process to control energy flow and amplify mechanical power from power density-limited muscle. Until recently, this ability was exclusive to ultrafast, small organisms, ... Full text Cite

Scaling and development of elastic mechanisms: the tiny strikes of larval mantis shrimp.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · April 2021 Latch-mediated spring actuation (LaMSA) is used by small organisms to produce high acceleration movements. Mathematical models predict that acceleration increases as LaMSA systems decrease in size. Adult mantis shrimp use a LaMSA mechanism in their raptori ... Full text Cite

Pendulum-based measurements reveal impact dynamics at the scale of a trap-jaw ant.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · March 2021 Featured Publication Small organisms can produce powerful, sub-millisecond impacts by moving tiny structures at high accelerations. We developed and validated a pendulum device to measure the impact energetics of microgram-sized trap-jaw ant mandibles accelerated against targe ... Full text Cite

Snaps of a tiny amphipod push the boundary of ultrafast, repeatable movement.

Journal Article Current biology : CB · February 2021 Featured Publication Surprisingly, the fastest motions are not produced by large animals or robots. Rather, small organisms or structures, including cnidarian stinging cells, fungal shooting spores, and mandible strikes of ants, termites, and spiders, hold the world accelerati ... Full text Cite

Winner effects and switching assessment strategies facilitate fast and frugal decisions in territorial contests

Journal Article Animal Behaviour · December 1, 2020 Animals compete in contests over limited resources, and contestants with greater fighting ability, or resource-holding potential (RHP), typically win contests. Contest strategies have evolved to balance contest costs with the benefit of winning resources. ... Full text Cite

Latch-based control of energy output in spring actuated systems.

Journal Article Journal of the Royal Society, Interface · July 2020 The inherent force-velocity trade-off of muscles and motors can be overcome by instead loading and releasing energy in springs to power extreme movements. A key component of this paradigm is the latch that mediates the release of spring energy to power the ... Full text Cite

How Predictable and Correlated are Patterns of Form-Function Evolution?

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · 2020 Cite

The Power of Mantis Shrimp Strikes: Interdisciplinary Impacts of an Extreme Cascade of Energy Release.

Journal Article Integrative and comparative biology · December 2019 In the course of a single raptorial strike by a mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda), the stages of energy release span six to seven orders of magnitude of duration. To achieve their mechanical feats of striking at the outer limits of speeds, accelerations, and imp ... Full text Cite

Why do Large Animals Never Actuate Their Jumps with Latch-Mediated Springs? Because They can Jump Higher Without Them.

Journal Article Integrative and comparative biology · December 2019 As animals get smaller, their ability to generate usable work from muscle contraction is decreased by the muscle's force-velocity properties, thereby reducing their effective jump height. Very small animals use a spring-actuated system, which prevents velo ... Full text Cite

The effect of size-scale on the kinematics of elastic energy release.

Journal Article Soft matter · November 2019 Elastically-driven motion has been used as a strategy to achieve high speeds in small organisms and engineered micro-robotic devices. We examine the size-scaling relations determining the limit of elastic energy release from elastomer bands that efficientl ... Full text Cite

Adhesive latching and legless leaping in small, worm-like insect larvae.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · August 2019 Jumping is often achieved using propulsive legs, yet legless leaping has evolved multiple times. We examined the kinematics, energetics and morphology of long-distance jumps produced by the legless larvae of gall midges (Asphondylia sp.). They store ... Full text Cite

Beyond power amplification: latch-mediated spring actuation is an emerging framework for the study of diverse elastic systems.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · August 2019 Rapid biological movements, such as the extraordinary strikes of mantis shrimp and accelerations of jumping insects, have captivated generations of scientists and engineers. These organisms store energy in elastic structures (e.g. springs) and then rapidly ... Full text Cite

Context-dependent scaling of kinematics and energetics during contests and feeding in mantis shrimp.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · April 2019 Measurements of energy use, and its scaling with size, are critical to understanding how organisms accomplish myriad tasks. For example, energy budgets are central to game theory models of assessment during contests and underlie patterns of feeding behavio ... Full text Cite

Biomechanics as a Pacemaker for Evolutionary Diversity

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · March 1, 2019 Link to item Cite

Rapid hydrostatic tentacle protrusion in cuttlefish

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · March 1, 2019 Link to item Cite

Biomechanics of ballistic seed dispersal in the witch hazel (Hamamelis)

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · March 1, 2019 Link to item Cite

Strong biomechanical relationships bias the tempo and mode of morphological evolution.

Conference eLife · August 2018 The influence of biomechanics on the tempo and mode of morphological evolution is unresolved, yet is fundamental to organismal diversification. Across multiple four-bar linkage systems in animals, we discovered that rapid morphological evolution (tempo) is ... Full text Cite

Smashing mantis shrimp strategically impact shells.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · June 2018 Many predators fracture strong mollusk shells, requiring specialized weaponry and behaviors. The current shell fracture paradigm is based on jaw- and claw-based predators that slowly apply forces (high impulse, low peak force). However, predators also stri ... Full text Cite

The principles of cascading power limits in small, fast biological and engineered systems.

Journal Article Science (New York, N.Y.) · April 2018 Mechanical power limitations emerge from the physical trade-off between force and velocity. Many biological systems incorporate power-enhancing mechanisms enabling extraordinary accelerations at small sizes. We establish how power enhancement emerges throu ... Full text Cite

Animal Locomotion

Book · March 22, 2018 This second edition has been thoroughly revised, incorporating new content on non-vertebrate animal locomotor systems, studies of animal locomotion that have inspired robotic designs, and a new chapter on the use of evolutionary approaches ... ... Cite

Trap-jaw ant-inspired jaw-jumping mechanisms explore energetics of insect jumping

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · March 1, 2018 Link to item Cite

Leaping larvae: hydrostatic jumpers at the mm-scale

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · March 1, 2018 Link to item Cite

Elastic energy delivery and power amplification of trap-jaw ant strikes

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · March 1, 2018 Link to item Cite

Evolutionary Biomechanics: The Pathway to Power in Snapping Shrimp.

Journal Article Current biology : CB · February 2018 The extraordinary snaps of snapping shrimp evolved through simple morphological transitions with remarkable mechanical results. ... Full text Cite

Mutual assessment during ritualized fighting in mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda).

Journal Article Proceedings. Biological sciences · January 2018 Safe and effective conflict resolution is critical for survival and reproduction. Theoretical models describe how animals resolve conflict by assessing their own and/or their opponent's ability (resource holding potential, RHP), yet experimental tests of t ... Full text Cite

Animal locomotion, second edition

Book · January 1, 2018 This book provides a synthesis of the physical, physiological, evolutionary, and biomechanical principles that underlie animal locomotion. An understanding and full appreciation of animal locomotion requires the integration of these principles. Toward this ... Full text Cite

Asymmetric drop coalescence launches fungal ballistospores with directionality.

Journal Article Journal of the Royal Society, Interface · July 2017 Thousands of fungal species use surface energy to power the launch of their ballistospores. The surface energy is released when a spherical Buller's drop at the spore's hilar appendix merges with a flattened drop on the adaxial side of the spore. The launc ... Full text Cite

Invertebrate biomechanics.

Journal Article Current biology : CB · May 2017 Invertebrate biomechanics focuses on mechanical analyses of non-vertebrate animals, which at root is no different in aim and technique from vertebrate biomechanics, or for that matter the biomechanics of plants and fungi. But invertebrates are special - th ... Full text Cite

Extreme power amplification in biological systems

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · March 1, 2017 Link to item Cite

Extreme asymmetry in the energy transfer rate of trap-jaw ant mandibles

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · March 1, 2017 Link to item Cite

Strategic strikes: how mantis shrimp crack open different prey

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · March 1, 2017 Link to item Cite

Mechanical sensitivity and the dynamics of evolutionary rate shifts in biomechanical systems.

Journal Article Proceedings. Biological sciences · January 2017 The influence of biophysical relationships on rates of morphological evolution is a cornerstone of evolutionary theory. Mechanical sensitivity-the correlation strength between mechanical output and the system's underlying morphological components-is though ... Full text Cite

The comparative hydrodynamics of rapid rotation by predatory appendages.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · November 2016 Countless aquatic animals rotate appendages through the water, yet fluid forces are typically modeled with translational motion. To elucidate the hydrodynamics of rotation, we analyzed the raptorial appendages of mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda) using a combina ... Full text Cite

Muscle-spring dynamics in time-limited, elastic movements.

Journal Article Proceedings. Biological sciences · September 2016 Muscle contractions that load in-series springs with slow speed over a long duration do maximal work and store the most elastic energy. However, time constraints, such as those experienced during escape and predation behaviours, may prevent animals from ac ... Full text Cite

Competing influences on morphological modularity in biomechanical systems: a case study in mantis shrimp.

Journal Article Evolution & development · May 2016 Related species that share similar biomechanical systems and segmentation patterns may exhibit different patterns of morphological covariation. We examined morphological covariation of the potent prey capture appendage of two mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda) sp ... Full text Cite

Feed-forward motor control of ultrafast, ballistic movements.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · February 2016 To circumvent the limits of muscle, ultrafast movements achieve high power through the use of springs and latches. The time scale of these movements is too short for control through typical neuromuscular mechanisms, thus ultrafast movements are either inva ... Full text Cite

The Most Powerful Movements in Biology

Journal Article AMERICAN SCIENTIST · September 1, 2015 Link to item Cite

Contests with deadly weapons: telson sparring in mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda).

Journal Article Biology letters · September 2015 Mantis shrimp strike with extreme impact forces that are deadly to prey. They also strike conspecifics during territorial contests, yet theoretical and empirical findings in aggressive behaviour research suggest competitors should resolve conflicts using s ... Full text Cite

The most powerful movements in biology

Journal Article American Scientist · September 1, 2015 Animal movement inevitably invokes the role of muscle, but it turns out that to achieve these extraordinarily powerful movements, organisms must actually find ways to circumvent muscle's limitations. The author S. N. Patek takes the example of mantis shrim ... Full text Cite

Mechanical sensitivity reveals evolutionary dynamics of mechanical systems.

Journal Article Proceedings. Biological sciences · April 2015 A classic question in evolutionary biology is how form-function relationships promote or limit diversification. Mechanical metrics, such as kinematic transmission (KT) in linkage systems, are useful tools for examining the evolution of form and function in ... Full text Cite

Where to strike a snail: smashing strategy of mantis shrimp

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · April 1, 2015 Link to item Cite

Acoustic Signal Evolution: Biomechanics, Size, and Performance

Chapter · January 20, 2015 The interface of proximate and evolutionary perspectives can provide fundamental insights into acoustic signals and their evolutionary diversification. This chapter focuses on three facets of acoustic mechanisms-biomechanics, size and performance-each of w ... Full text Cite

Materials science. Biomimetics and evolution.

Journal Article Science (New York, N.Y.) · September 2014 Full text Cite

Levers and linkages: mechanical trade-offs in a power-amplified system.

Journal Article Evolution; international journal of organic evolution · July 2014 Mechanical redundancy within a biomechanical system (e.g., many-to-one mapping) allows morphologically divergent organisms to maintain equivalent mechanical outputs. However, most organisms depend on the integration of more than one biomechanical system. H ... Full text Cite

Muscle trade-offs in a power-amplified prey capture system.

Journal Article Evolution; international journal of organic evolution · May 2014 Should animals operating at great speeds and accelerations use fast or slow muscles? The answer hinges on a fundamental trade-off: muscles can be maximally fast or forceful, but not both. Direct lever systems offer a straightforward manifestation of this t ... Full text Cite

A physical model of the extreme mantis shrimp strike: kinematics and cavitation of Ninjabot.

Journal Article Bioinspiration & biomimetics · March 2014 To study the mechanical principles and fluid dynamics of ultrafast power-amplified systems, we built Ninjabot, a physical model of the extremely fast mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda). Ninjabot rotates a to-scale appendage within the environmental conditions and ... Full text Cite

Does cavitation limit the speed of mantis shrimp?

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · January 1, 2014 Link to item Cite

Motor control of an ultrafast spring-driven movement in smashing mantis shrimp

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · January 1, 2014 Link to item Cite

Modularity and rates of evolutionary change in a power-amplified prey capture system.

Journal Article Evolution; international journal of organic evolution · November 2013 The dynamic interplay among structure, function, and phylogeny form a classic triad of influences on the patterns and processes of biological diversification. Although these dynamics are widely recognized as important, quantitative analyses of their intera ... Full text Cite

Evo-devo beyond morphology: from genes to resource use.

Journal Article Trends in ecology & evolution · May 2013 How does genetic innovation translate into ecological innovation? Although evo-devo has successfully linked genes to morphology, the next stage is elucidating how genes predict resource use. This can be attained by broadening the focus of evo-devo from [ge ... Full text Cite

Comparative spring mechanics in mantis shrimp.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · April 2013 Elastic mechanisms are fundamental to fast and efficient movements. Mantis shrimp power their fast raptorial appendages using a conserved network of exoskeletal springs, linkages and latches. Their appendages are fantastically diverse, ranging from spears ... Full text Cite

Shrimp springs: how shape affects strength in energy storage

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · April 1, 2013 Link to item Cite

What is fast?

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · April 1, 2013 Link to item Cite

Internal Morphology

Chapter · 2013 Cite

Strike mechanics of an ambush predator: the spearing mantis shrimp.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · December 2012 Ambush predation is characterized by an animal scanning the environment from a concealed position and then rapidly executing a surprise attack. Mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda) consist of both ambush predators ('spearers') and foragers ('smashers'). Spearers hi ... Full text Cite

Gearing for speed slows the predatory strike of a mantis shrimp.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · April 2012 The geometry of an animal's skeleton governs the transmission of force to its appendages. Joints and rigid elements that create a relatively large output displacement per unit input displacement have been considered to be geared for speed, but the relation ... Full text Cite

Sit-and-wait predation: behavior and biomechanics of the "spearing" mantis shrimp

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · 2012 Cite

Acoustic ecology of the California mantis shrimp (Hemisquilla californiensis).

Journal Article Advances in experimental medicine and biology · January 2012 Full text Cite

Rumbling in the benthos: Acoustic ecology of the California mantis shrimp Hemisquilla californiensis

Journal Article Aquatic Biology · September 19, 2011 Although much research has focused on acoustic mapping and exploration of the benthic environment, little is known about the acoustic ecology of benthic organisms, particularly benthic crustaceans. Through the use of a coupled audio-video system, a hydroph ... Full text Cite

From bouncy legs to poisoned arrows: elastic movements in invertebrates.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · June 2011 Elastic mechanisms in the invertebrates are fantastically diverse, yet much of this diversity can be captured by examining just a few fundamental physical principles. Our goals for this commentary are threefold. First, we aim to synthesize and simplify the ... Full text Cite

Comparing elastic energy structures in mantis shrimp using finite element analysis

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · March 1, 2011 Link to item Cite

Modularity and scaling in fast movements: power amplification in mantis shrimp.

Journal Article Evolution; international journal of organic evolution · February 2011 Extremely fast animal actions are accomplished with mechanisms that reduce the duration of movement. This process is known as power amplification. Although many studies have examined the morphology and performance of power-amplified systems, little is know ... Full text Cite

Ritualized fighting and biological armor: the impact mechanics of the mantis shrimp's telson.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · October 2010 Resisting impact and avoiding injury are central to survival in situations ranging from the abiotic forces of crashing waves to biotic collisions with aggressive conspecifics. Although impacts and collisions in biology are ubiquitous, most studies focus on ... Full text Cite

Biological punching bags: impact analysis of a mantis shrimp telson

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · July 1, 2010 Link to item Cite

Probing the evolutionary biomechanics of elastic energy storage in mantis shrimp

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · July 1, 2010 Link to item Cite

Comparative muscle physiology of the mantis shrimp's raptorial appendage

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · July 1, 2010 Link to item Cite

Shape, size and performance of a crustacean predatory appendage

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · July 1, 2010 Link to item Cite

Disentangling defense: The function of spiny lobster sounds

Journal Article Behaviour · January 1, 2010 The function of anti-predator signalling is a complex, and often-overlooked, area of animal communication. The goal of this study was to examine the behavioural function of an antipredator acoustic signal in the ocean. We observed the acoustic and defensiv ... Full text Cite

Elastic energy storage in the mantis shrimp's fast predatory strike.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · December 2009 Storage of elastic energy is key to increasing the power output of many biological systems. Mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda) must store considerable elastic energy prior to their rapid raptorial strikes; however, little is known about the dynamics and location ... Full text Cite

The acoustics and acoustic behavior of the California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus).

Journal Article The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · May 2009 Numerous animals produce sounds during interactions with potential predators, yet little is known about the acoustics of these sounds, especially in marine environments. California spiny lobsters (Panulirus interruptus) produce pulsatile rasps when interac ... Full text Cite

Elastic energy storage and the mantis shrimps powerful predatory strike

Journal Article INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · February 1, 2009 Link to item Cite

Polymorphic trap-jaws: intra- and interspecific scaling of jaw forces in trap-jaw ants

Journal Article INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · February 1, 2009 Link to item Cite

Antipredator startle signal of the California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus)

Journal Article INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · February 1, 2009 Link to item Cite

Muscle mechanics in mantis shrimp

Journal Article INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · February 1, 2009 Link to item Cite

Phylogeny, scaling, and the generation of extreme forces in trap-jaw ants.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · July 2008 Trap-jaw ants of the genus Odontomachus produce remarkably fast predatory strikes. The closing mandibles of Odontomachus bauri, for example, can reach speeds of over 60 m s(-1). They use these jaw strikes for both prey capture and locomotion - by striking ... Full text Cite

Linkage mechanics and power amplification of the mantis shrimp's strike.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · October 2007 Mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda) generate extremely rapid and forceful predatory strikes through a suite of structural modifications of their raptorial appendages. Here we examine the key morphological and kinematic components of the raptorial strike that ampli ... Full text Cite

The acoustic mechanics of stick slip friction in the California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus).

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · October 2007 The dynamic interplay between static and sliding friction is fundamental to many animal movements. One interesting example of stick-slip friction is found in the sound-producing apparatus of many spiny lobster species (Palinuridae). The acoustic movements ... Full text Cite

Extreme forces and jaw size variation in trap-jaw ants

Journal Article INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · December 1, 2006 Link to item Cite

Two sides to sound production: behavior and pulse patterns in spiny lobsters

Journal Article INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · December 1, 2006 Link to item Cite

Multifunctionality and mechanical origins: ballistic jaw propulsion in trap-jaw ants.

Journal Article Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · August 2006 Extreme animal movements are usually associated with a single, high-performance behavior. However, the remarkably rapid mandible strikes of the trap-jaw ant, Odontomachus bauri, can yield multiple functional outcomes. Here we investigate the biomechanics o ... Full text Cite

The stomatopod rumble: Low frequency sound production in Hemisquilla californiensis

Journal Article Marine and Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology · June 1, 2006 Stomatopods (mantis shrimp), numbering over 450 species, are renowned for their exceptional visual and chemosensory abilities and yet virtually nothing is known about their use of acoustic signals. We present acoustic recordings and analyses of the sounds ... Full text Cite

Phylogeny and Evolution

Chapter · January 1, 2006 Full text Cite

Rapid discharge of mushroom spores

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · December 1, 2005 Link to item Cite

The California spiny lobsters runny nose

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · December 1, 2005 Link to item Cite

Keeping an open mind: Investigating poacher skeletal morphology

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · December 1, 2005 Link to item Cite

Extreme impact and cavitation forces of a biological hammer: strike forces of the peacock mantis shrimp Odontodactylus scyllarus.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · October 2005 Mantis shrimp are renowned for their unusual method of breaking shells with brief, powerful strikes of their raptorial appendages. Due to the extreme speeds of these strikes underwater, cavitation occurs between their appendages and hard-shelled prey. Here ... Full text Cite

The captured launch of a ballistospore.

Journal Article Mycologia · July 2005 Ballistospore discharge is a feature of 30000 species of mushrooms, basidiomycete yeasts and pathogenic rusts and smuts. The biomechanics of discharge may involve an abrupt change in the center of mass associated with the coalescence of Buller's drop and t ... Full text Cite

Snail smashing forces of the peacock mantis shrimp

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · December 1, 2004 Link to item Cite

The evolution of larval morphology and swimming performance in ascidians.

Journal Article Evolution; international journal of organic evolution · June 2004 The complexity of organismal function challenges our ability to understand the evolution of animal locomotion. To meet this challenge, we used a combination of biomechanics, phylogenetic comparative analyses, and theoretical morphology to examine evolution ... Full text Cite

Biomechanics: deadly strike mechanism of a mantis shrimp.

Journal Article Nature · April 2004 Stomatopods (mantis shrimp) are well known for the feeding appendages they use to smash shells and impale fish. Here we show that the peacock mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) generates an extremely fast strike that requires major energy storage and ... Full text Cite

Springy saddles: A new model of energy storage in the mantis shrimps strike

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · December 1, 2003 Link to item Cite

Comparative tests of evolutionary trade-offs in a palinurid lobster acoustic system.

Journal Article Evolution; international journal of organic evolution · September 2003 Communication structures vary greatly in size and can be structurally and behaviorally integrated with other systems. In structurally integrated systems, dramatic changes in size may impose trade-offs with the size of neighboring structures. In spiny lobst ... Full text Cite

Two sniffing strategies in palinurid lobsters.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · December 2002 Most studies of lobster chemoreception have focused on the model systems of Panulirus argus (Palinuridae) and Homarus americanus (Nephropidae). We compare antennule morphology across lobsters and conduct the first kinematic study of antennule flicking in a ... Full text Cite

More than one way to sniff: a comparative analysis of palinurid lobster antennules.

Conference INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · December 1, 2002 Link to item Cite

Two sniffing strategies in palinurid lobsters

Journal Article Journal of Experimental Biology · December 1, 2002 Most studies of lobster chemoreception have focused on the model systems of Panulirus argus (Palinuridae) and Homarus americanus (Nephropidae). We compare antennule morphology across lobsters and conduct the first kinematic study of antennule flicking in a ... Cite

Squeaking with a sliding joint: mechanics and motor control of sound production in palinurid lobsters.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · August 2002 The origin of arthropod sound-producing morphology typically involves modification of two translating body surfaces, such as the legs and thorax. In an unusual structural rearrangement, I show that one lineage of palinurid lobsters lost an antennal joint a ... Full text Cite

Squeaking with a sliding joint: Mechanics and motor control of sound production in palinurid lobsters

Journal Article Journal of Experimental Biology · 2002 The origin of arthropod sound-producing morphology typically involves modification of two translating body surfaces, such as the legs and thorax. In an unusual structural rearrangement, I show that one lineage of palinurid lobsters lost an antennal joint a ... Cite

Vertebral column morphology, C-start curvature, and the evolution of mechanical defenses in tetraodontiform fishes

Journal Article Copeia · December 30, 1998 Maximum body curvature during the initial phase of escape swimming (stage 1 of C-start) was measured in four species of tropical marine fishes. A linear correlation between maximum curvature and number of functional intervertebral joints was found (range f ... Full text Cite

Sound production during feeding in Hippocampus seahorses (Syngnathidae)

Journal Article Environmental Biology of Fishes · March 27, 1998 While there have been many anecdotal reports of sounds produced by Hippocampus seahorses, little is known about the mechanisms of sound production. We investigated clicking sounds produced during feeding strikes in H. zosterae and H. erectus. Descriptions ... Full text Cite

Engineering Animals: How Life Works

Other Quarterly Review of Biology Cite