Nature uses screws and nuts: Previously unknown musculoskeletal system discovered in weevils
Friday, July 1, 2011 - 21:30
in Physics & Chemistry
A musculoskeletal system so far unknown in the animal world was recently discovered in weevils. The hip of Trigonopterus oblongus does not consist of the usual hinges, but of joints based on a screw-and-nut system. This first biological screw thread is about half a millimeter in size and was studied in detail using synchrotron radiation.
