How the Powerful Mantis Shrimp Evolved Its 60 Mph Punch

The colorful mantis shrimp packs a powerful punch. In fact, it's been known to crack the glass of aquariums. Now, scientists have taking a closer look at this cigar-sized crustacean and have learned a bit more about how they've evolved their 60-mile-per-hour blow.

Mantis shrimp use a system of biological springs, latches and levers to power their fast strikes. These enable them to strike much more swiftly than would be possible with muscle power alone. In order to get a better look at this strike, the researchers took careful measurements and calculated each specimen's ability to transmit a muscular force and motion to the part of the claw that swings out to smash or spear their prey. This is a mechanical property known as kinematic transmission.

In all, the scientists studied nearly 200 mantis shrimp specimens representing three dozen species. Once the researchers mapped their measurements onto the mantis shrimp family tree, they found that certain parts of the claw are more strongly associated with changes in strike mechanics than others. This means that these parts evolved relatively independently without compromising the mantis shrimp's strike.

"This research sheds new light on how these amazing movements evolved," said Philip Anderson, one of the researchers, in a news release.

The findings reveal that mantis shrimp claws were able to evolve so many shapes because their mechanical properties are more affected by changes in some parts than others.

The findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

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