Using high-speed cameras, researchers Stephen Deban and Yu Zeng have revealed some revolutionary findings. Their primary interest was in the mechanics of salamander and chameleon tongues. Their research, released in the September 8 Current Biology, introduces a novel mechanical model. This biomechanical model uncovers the means through which these animals are able to extend their sticky tongues at astonishing velocities of up to 16 ft/s. Deban and Zeng both have more than thirty years of combined experience in studying animal movement and physiology. Their research demonstrates tremendous promise for engineering innovations in medicine, emergency response, and space exploration, among others.
As such, this study represents a historic accomplishment. It is the first to have compared the tongue-shot mechanism of salamanders vs chameleons side by side. In the process, they found that these diverse creatures, which seem so different at first glance, all use a surprisingly similar “ballistic” tongue-firing system. This surprising discovery shifts our perspective on how animals invade. It presents amazing new opportunities for bio-inspired solutions to human challenges.
Insights from the Research
Deban, director of the Deban Laboratory at University of South Florida, said that they were pleased with their results.
“It is gratifying to have a unifying story about these amazing tongues, as well as potential engineering applications after so many years of focusing on the biology of these animals,” said Deban.
The partnership with Zeng, who has a background in studying insect flight, offered a different approach and perspective on animal locomotion. Zeng further highlighted the fact that both salamanders and chameleons have independently evolved similar anatomical features to allow for high-speed tongue projection.
“They evolved the same architecture in their bodies to fire their tongues at high speed,” said Zeng.
This common evolutionary characteristic breeds opportunities for groundbreaking engineering advancements by way of biomimicry solutions.
Engineering Applications
That’s where Deban and Zeng’s research comes in, which sheds light on some pretty incredible findings. They found that the mechanics of tongue projection can scale up or down, applying soft or flexible materials. This flexibility creates unprecedented opportunities for innovation in the field of engineering. Perhaps most importantly, it gives us the means to engineer tools and processes that achieve the efficiency and velocity that we see in nature.
“This mechanism can be scaled up or down, using soft or flexible materials,” according to Zeng.
The possible real-world applications go far beyond just an academic exercise. This research takes an important step to fill that gap. They might lead the way in precision medical instruments, first responder equipment, and devices for extra planetary exploration.
Future Directions
Deban and Zeng have been itching to take their research further. They hope to study how animal tongues not only stick out, but retract at incredible speed and accuracy. This next phase of research will enhance our understanding of these complex, dynamic movements in biological systems. It might even inspire a wave of innovative engineering.
Deban closed with a reminder that nature’s designs can help us crack the hardest of challenges.
“Nature has already solved these problems, now we’re learning how to adapt those solutions for us,” he stated.
Deban and Zeng are just getting started on their research. By bridging biological function with engineering application, they develop cutting-edge, nature-inspired solutions that will one day benefit people all over the world.