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How the trap-jaw ant got its ultrafast bite – Phys.org
Powerful and deadly, the bite of a trap-jaw ant is renowned throughout the animal kingdom. Unlike normal gripping jaws, which rely on muscles to open and close,…
Powerful and deadly, the bite of a trap-jaw ant is renowned throughout the animal kingdom. Unlike normal gripping jaws, which rely on muscles to open and close, the trap-jaw latches itself open, storing energy like a stretched spring. When released, the jaws of the ansnap shut on their prey in one ultrafast strike.
Trap-jaws are a record-breaking evolutionary innovation, but scientists still don’t understand how this complex mechanism evolved from simpler ancestors. Now, publishing today in PLOS…
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