Wang, Simeng;
Didziokas, Marius;
Roscian, Marjorie;
Evans, Susan;
Rouget, Isabelle;
Herrel, Anthony;
Moazen, Mehran;
(2024)
A comparative analysis of the puncturing abilities of cephalopod beak rostra using engineering tools.
Marine Biology
, 171
, Article 131. 10.1007/s00227-024-04451-0.
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Abstract
Cephalopods, a diverse class of carnivorous marine predators, exhibit a wide range of feeding behaviours and foraging strategies related to their lifestyle, habitat and morphological adaptations. Their beaks play a crucial role in capturing and processing prey. This study investigates the link between the shape of the rostrum of cephalopod beaks and their function through a mix of experimental and computational approaches. Fourteen upper beak rostrum models from a range of cephalopod species, representing their morphological and ecological diversity, were 3D-printed, and subjected to uniaxial puncture tests. Force and displacement were recorded to estimate puncture ability. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was used to explore the form–function relationship under loading conditions mimicking biting and pulling, analysing stress patterns across different rostrum morphologies. The results show that rostrum size significantly influenced puncture performance, with smaller rostra requiring less force and displacement for puncturing. However, larger rostra exhibited higher structural stiffness, suggesting increased vulnerability to stress during biting. Morphology-driven tests demonstrated species-specific differences in puncture abilities, with rostrum sharpness playing a crucial role. FEA results further indicated that longer and sharper rostra were more susceptible to stress, potentially impacting their overall structural integrity. The findings highlight the trade-off between rostrum size and sharpness in cephalopod beaks, with implications for prey selection and feeding efficiency. The study contributes to understanding the morpho-functional aspects of cephalopod beaks and their role in prey capture and consumption, shedding light on the evolutionary pressures shaping these remarkable marine predators.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | A comparative analysis of the puncturing abilities of cephalopod beak rostra using engineering tools |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s00227-024-04451-0 |
| Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00227-024-04451-0 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. |
| Keywords: | Beaks; Morphology; Cuttlefish; Squid; Octopod; Diet; 3D modelling |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Mechanical Engineering UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences > Cell and Developmental Biology |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10192662 |
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