U.S. engineers study ancient fish for future body armor

by William Atkins

Tuesday, 29 July 2008

Page 1 of 2 ! A team of Massachusetts Institute of Technology engineers and scientists studied the scales of the dinosaur eel as a possible model for future structural materials. U.S. military officials are interested in the investigation of the fish for futuristic armor for the protection of its soldiers. The 16-inch (40-centimer) long dinosaur eel, or scientifically named Polypterus senegalus (and sometimes also called gray bichir, Cuvier’s bichir, and Senegal bichir), is found on the muddy bottoms of freshwater in West Africa. Scientists already now that the ancient fish has lived for over 96 million years. They stated in the abstract to their research paper, “Here, we present a multiscale experimental and computational approach that reveals the materials design principles present within individual ganoid scales from the 'living fossil' Polypterus senegalus. This fish belongs to the ancient family Polypteridae, which first appeared 96 million years ago during the Cretaceous period and still retains many of their characteristics.” The long and slender predator fish—which is not an eel at all—has a body that is about as deep and it is wide. A serrated dorsal fin is found along most of its body length; that is, until it meets the caudal fin. Its pectoral fins are attached just behind and below the gill openings. The dinosaur eel has a small head that looks similar to a lizard. It has a big mouth and small eyes that are feeble at best. It hunts primarily by smell from large nostrils that extend out from its nose. It breathes with a swim bladder (lungs), getting air from the surface of water. The predators of P. senegalus are members of its own species and carnivorous vertebrates. Most attacks occur over rights of territory and food. Most important to this study, the fish has multiple layers of scales over top its soft tissues underneath. The scales easily ward off attacks by other fish and by members of its own species, making it a major reason why the fish has been able to survive for millions of years. Specifically, the study found that the way the scales are layered is the key to being able to deflect the pressure of a bit from another fish. The abstract of the paper published by the MIT team states, “Knowledge of the structure–property–function relationships of dermal scales of armoured fish could enable pathways to improved bioinspired human body armour, and may provide clues to the evolutionary origins of mineralized tissues.” The work by the MIT engineers and scientists could lead to better body armor for soldiers. Please read page two for more information. << First page <   1 2 Next page > Last page - Post your comment >>

 

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