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Journal Article
When it's hip to be square
2015
Overview
The square shape of the seahorse tail helps it resist mechanical deformation
[Also see Research Article by
Porter
et al.
]
Most animals and plants approximate a cylinder in shape, and where junctions occur (as with branches of trees or limbs on animals), those corners are “faired,” meaning smoothly curved so that one surface grades into the next (
1
). When living organisms deviate from the norm, there's usually a good biomechanical reason: a clue to some specific problem that needs to be solved. Among their suite of unusual characteristics, seahorses possess a true oddity: a prehensile tail with a square, rather than round or elliptical, cross-sectional shape. On page
10.1126/science.aaa6683
of this issue, Porter
et al.
(
2
) report that there are distinct mechanical advantages to being square. Using three-dimensional (3D) printing to construct physical models, the team demonstrates that the multiplated anatomy of the square seahorse tail shows greater resistance to mechanical deformation than a similar model that has a round cross section.
Publisher
The American Association for the Advancement of Science
Subject
