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Multifunctionality and mechanical origins: Ballistic jaw propulsion in trap-jaw ants
- S. Patek, J. Baio, B. Fisher, A. Suarez
- BiologyProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- 22 August 2006
The biomechanics of mandible strikes in O. bauri are investigated and it is found that the extreme mandible movements serve two distinct functions: predation and propulsion.
Spiny lobsters stick and slip to make sound
- S. Patek
- Physics, Environmental ScienceNature
- 10 May 2001
Spiny lobsters (Palinuridae) generate pulsed sounds by virtue of a frictional 'stick-and-slip' mechanism that is more usually associated with bowed stringed instruments, and this technique can produce strident warning sounds against predators throughout their moult cycle.
Sound production during feeding in Hippocampus seahorses (Syngnathidae)
- D. Colson, S. Patek, E. Brainerd, S. Lewis
- BiologyEnvironmental Biology of Fishes
- 1 February 1998
Analysis of high-speed video and synchronous sound recordings of H. erectus indicate that the feeding click begins within 1-2 msec of the onset of the rapid feeding strike, which is not consistent with previous suggestions that sounds may be produced by cavitation due to rapid pressure changes within the buccal cavity during the feeding strike.
Biomechanics: Deadly strike mechanism of a mantis shrimp
- S. Patek, W. Korff, R. Caldwell
- EngineeringNature
- 22 April 2004
It is shown that the peacock mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) generates an extremely fast strike that requires major energy storage and release, which is explained in terms of a saddle-shaped exoskeletal spring mechanism.
Extreme impact and cavitation forces of a biological hammer: strike forces of the peacock mantis shrimp Odontodactylus scyllarus
- S. Patek, R. Caldwell
- BiologyJournal of Experimental Biology
- 1 October 2005
The surprising finding that each strike generates two brief, high-amplitude force peaks, typically 390–480 μs apart, suggests that mantis shrimp use a potent combination of cavitation forces and extraordinarily high impact forces to fracture shells.
Linkage mechanics and power amplification of the mantis shrimp's strike
- S. Patek, B. N. Nowroozi, J. Baio, R. Caldwell, A. Summers
- BiologyJournal of Experimental Biology
- 15 October 2007
The results of the morphological, kinematic and mechanical analyses suggest a multi-faceted mechanical system that integrates latches, linkages and lever arms and is powered by multiple sites of cuticular energy storage.
Integrative and Comparative Biology
- J. Spagna, S. Patek, A. I. Vakis, A. Suarez
- Biology
- 2006
The surface area and sensory neuron density in olfactory organs of 95 species of moths and mammals are reported and it is found that approximately 12–14% of an Olfactory system’s surface area is devoted to chemosensors.
Squeaking with a sliding joint: mechanics and motor control of sound production in palinurid lobsters.
- S. Patek
- BiologyJournal of Experimental Biology
- 15 August 2002
In an unusual structural rearrangement, it is shown that one lineage of palinurid lobsters lost an antennal joint articulation, which transformed this joint from moving with one degree of freedom into a sliding joint with multiple degrees of freedom.
Vertebral Column Morphology, C-Start Curvature, and the Evolution of Mechanical Defenses in Tetraodontiform Fishes
- E. Brainerd, S. Patek
- Biology
- 30 December 1998
An evolutionary scenario in which low vertebral number reduced the escape swimming performance of ancestral tetraodontiforms, thus increasing their vulnerability to predators and driving the repeated evolution of mechanical defenses in this group is proposed.
From bouncy legs to poisoned arrows: elastic movements in invertebrates
- S. Patek, D. Dudek, M. V. Rosario
- BiologyJournal of Experimental Biology
- 15 June 2011
This commentary aims to synthesize and simplify the fundamental principles underlying elastic mechanisms and show how different configurations of basic building blocks can be used for different functions in invertebrates.
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