Winning Photo Of Ant Carrying 100 Times Own Bodyweight
THE image of an Asian weaver ant (Oecophylla smaragdina), taken by Dr Thomas Endlein, of Cambridge Univesity, wins the inaugural Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) science photo competition.
The ant is holding a 500 milligram weight in its jaws. The ant is carrying 100 times its own body weight. Endlein is investigating the sticky properties of ants’ feet. Says he:
Ants can change the size and shape of the pads on their feet depending on the load they are carrying. If they have to carry heavy loads they increase the contact area, and when they need to run they decrease it. The pads on ants’ feet are self-cleaning and can stick to almost any type of surface. No man-made glue or adhesive system can match this. Understanding how animals can control their adhesive systems should help us come up with clever adhesives in the future.
He won £700 worth of photographic equipment vouchers. The ant gets all the sugar his feet can stick to…
Posted: 20th, February 2010 | In: Strange But True Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink
