Armadillos are cool. They have long tails, claws, and hard, bony outer "shells".
I write shells in quotes because they aren't quite shells in the same way that turtle shells are shells. Armadillo exoskeletons are composed of keratin and collagen, just like human skin. There's a tougher part under the surface of the top keratin layer, made of hard scales. Some scientists studied the strength of these scales, to try and explore what we might be able to learn from them. This can help us in developing stronger materials for ourselves.
In "Armadillo armor: Mechanical Testing and micro-structural evaluation," Chen et al. dive into measuring the ability to handle the way these scales resist being pulled apart using stress- strain curves. They found that dry scales, as opposed to wet, hydrated scales, were more resistant to being pulled apart; being able to handle 25% more force (Chen et al). Like our skin, armadillo armor contains keratin and collagen. Networks of these molecules help our skin, and armadillo armor, be more elastic, and respond to this same pulling force. Keratin and collagen work like rubber bands, absorbing the tensile stress generated by moving, running, jumping etc.
What does this mean for us? Most of us have never even seen an armadillo in a zoo, let alone seen one in the wild, or know what their scales look and feel like. The take-home idea is that now we've studied another way to make stronger, stretchier, more elastic materials. It's another example of biomimicry. There are implications for developing stretchier fabrics, toys, building materials, or maybe armor for soldiers or first responders. All of these scenarios demand materials that can hold up to stress.
Posted by "Chandler Kupris" (2)
Armadillo armor: Mechanical testing and micro-structural evaluation. (2011, January 07). Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1751616110001888
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I had no idea that armadillos had such tough and resistant scales! Studying these animals further could really help in making strides to make better armor or bullet proof vests for soldiers and police officers! Do you know if they compared the "shells" of armadillos to the shells of turtles to see which ones are more durable?
ReplyDeletePosted by: Katarzyna Mosio
They actually didn't. That would be an idea for future studies. One way they could go about that, is ask which one is better, in order to inform designs of bulletproof vests and the other things you talked about!
DeletePosted by "Chandler Kupris"
How interesting! I have never seen an armadillo in my life. I understand that the shell armor is used in defense and from predators. Do you know how heavy the shell is, and if it weighs them down in terms speed of movement?
ReplyDelete- Posted by Priya Bikkani
From what I saw, the article took specific parts of the shell -- Sharpey's fibers -- (analogous to collagen or elastin fibers in our skin) not the whole shell itself. But they did talk about the structure of the shell itself. It has a keratin layer on top, then it has a harder layer underneath -- the hydrated osteoderm. The osteoderm is really the hard layer that gives them protection and grows the hard scales for the shell. Since it's a thin layer, and it's part of their body, unlike a turtle shell, that can be removed, it doesn't seem like it would be that heavy. I think of it like having a couple extra layers of tough skin on over you.
DeletePosted by "Chandler Kupris"
I've noticed that armadillo shells aren't continuous or smooth, but rather have many small segments. Do scientists know why they are shaped like this and what function it's serving other than to look cool? Maybe it plays into why the shell is so strong.
ReplyDelete-Matt Murdoch