Washington, July 2 (ANI): A new study has shown that nature was the first to invent screws and nuts, as is evident from the fact that weevils have been using this construction for about 100 million years now.
For the first time, researchers have discovered a musculoskeletal system in weevils that was unknown in the animal world.
The hip of the weevil Trigonopterus oblongus does not consist of the usual hinges, rather it has joints based on a screw-and-nut system. This biological screw thread is about half a millimeter in size.
"Such a construction for animal leg movement is quite unusual, as large areas of skeletal parts move on top of each other. Supply of the leg takes place via a very small opening in the center of the screw," said Thomas van de Kamp from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.
In nature, hips and shoulders usually are based on ball-and-socket systems or hinges that can be operated more easily by organisms. Screws and nuts on the other hand, are known from engineering and used for the fixed connection of components.
However, in weevils, both parts of the hip joint fit like screw and nut and increase the mobility of the leg.
Though weevils are clumsier than many other beetles, the transformation of a hinge joint into a screw joint made has them better climbers.
The study is reported in the current issue of the Science magazine. (ANI)
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