Feeding without teeth: the material properties of rhamphothecae from two species of durophagous sea turtles

• Published in: Royal Society open science Vol. 10; no. 4; p. 221424
• Main Authors: Ingle, Danielle N, Perez, Eliza, Porter, Marianne E, Marshall, Christopher D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England The Royal Society 19.04.2023
• Subjects: bone mineral density; cornified keratin; Organismal and Evolutionary Biology; toughness; water absorption; yield strength; Young's modulus; Young's modulus; bone mineral density; yield strength; cornified keratin; toughness; water absorption

The feeding apparatus of sea turtles comprises cornified keratinous rhamphothecae overlaying a bony rostrum. Although keratin is less stiff than the enamel of toothed animals, certain species of sea turtles are capable of withstanding large forces when feeding on hard prey. We aimed to quantify the...