“Clemson University mechanical engineer Michael Porter, whose research group is in the business of designing new structures based on biological templates, has for years been fascinated by the seahorse tail’s unique geometry. While studying seahorse skeletons as a PhD student, he discovered the bones are composed of only 40 percent mineral, plus a surprisingly large amount of protein and other organic compounds. When subjected to load tests, he learned that the connective tissue between the bony plates and tail muscles took on most of the pressure, leaving the vertebrae unharmed.
One of the main things seahorses use their tails for is gripping seagrasses or corals. Tails used for anchoring need able to pivot and bend easily without overextending themselves. Twisting their different model tails, the researchers learned that the square-plated tail returned to its original shape faster than the circle-plated tail, and expended less energy doing so. Square plates, they discovered, also interfere with each other when twisting, limiting the tail’s overall range of motion by half compared with round plates. This feature could help protect the seahorse’s spinal cord from mechanical damage. Square tails are also just plain grippier, making more points of contacts with a surface.”
Read the full article at gizmodo.com