The Stomatopod Dactyl Club: A Formidable Damage-Tolerant Biological Hammer

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 336; no. 6086; pp. 1275 - 1280
• Main Authors: Weaver, James C., Milliron, Garrett W., Miserez, Ali, Evans-Lutterodt, Kenneth, Herrera, Steven, Gallana, Isaias, Mershon, William J., Swanson, Brook, Zavattieri, Pablo, DiMasi, Elaine, Kisailus, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 08.06.2012; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: amorphous; Animal Structures - anatomy & histology; Animal Structures - chemistry; Animal Structures - physiology; Animal Structures - ultrastructure; Animals; Appendages; Biological and medical sciences; Biomechanical Phenomena; Calcium - analysis; Calcium Carbonate - analysis; CALCIUM PHOSPHATES; Calcium Phosphates - analysis; Chitin; Chitin - analysis; Claws; Clubs; Composite structures; Crack propagation; Crustacea; Crustacea - anatomy & histology; Crustacea - chemistry; Crustacea - physiology; CRUSTACEANS; Crystallization; Dactyl; Damage tolerance; Damage tolerant engineering; Durapatite - analysis; Finite Element Analysis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hammering; Hammers; Hardness; hydroxyapatite; Invertebrates; MATERIALS SCIENCE; Mechanical properties; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Minerals; Morphology. Histology. Cytology; national synchrotron light source; odontodactylus; Phosphorus - analysis; RESEARCH ARTICLE; scyllarus; Shrimps; Stress, Mechanical; Synchrotrons; TOLERANCE; X-Ray Diffraction; Crustacea; Marine environment; Stomatopoda; Specialization; Impact strength; Arthropoda; Morphology; Chemical composition; Predation; Invertebrata
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1218764

Nature has evolved efficient strategies to synthesize complex mineralized structures that exhibit exceptional damage tolerance. One such example is found in the hypermineralized hammer-like dactyl clubs of the stomatopods, a group of highly aggressive marine crustaceans. The dactyl clubs from one species, Odontodactylus scyllarus, exhibit an impressive set of characteristics adapted for surviving high-velocity impacts on the heavily mineralized prey on which they feed. Consisting of a multiphase composite of oriented crystalline hydroxyapatite and amorphous calcium phosphate and carbonate, in conjunction with a highly expanded helicoidal organization of the fibrillar chitinous organic matrix, these structures display several effective lines of defense against catastrophic failure during repetitive high-energy loading events.