Mystery of how fire ants survive floods solved: Insects hook their legs together to form LIFE RAFTS that help them float
U.S. engineers used mathematical modelling and time-lapse photography to unravel how the fire ants self-assemble into their life-preserving raft
Tech researchers said the ants grip each other with mandibles, claw and adhesive pads at a force 400 times their body weight to make their raft
The result was a viscous and elastic material that is almost like a fluid composed of ant ‘molecules,’ and is self-healing
Incredibly, an ant raft can be assembled in less than 100 seconds
Read more and see pictures - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2514349/Mystery-ants-survive-floods-solved-Insects-hook-legs-form-LIFE-RAFTS-help-float.html
****************************************************************************
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for visiting my blog. Your comments are always appreciated, but please do not include links.