'Small but terrible' is what perfectly describes leafcutter ants. Their metal-laced teeth can pierce through tough materials like wood or even skin. What makes these arthropods acquire their biting edge was explained by a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Leafcutter ants (Atta cephalotes) typically consists of foraging columns composed of hundreds or thousands of ants carrying small pieces of leaves. They clip out pieces of leaves with their jaws and transport the fragments to an underground nest.
Scientists found through a microscope a web of zinc atoms woven into the biological structure of the ants' jaws which explains them having sharp teeth with "the durability of a set of stainless steel knives," authors said.
The zinc laced in their teeth allows the edge to form a fine point, keeping them sharp for a long time.
"The tiny animals who had this material, their muscles are microscopic compared to ours," said lead author Robert Schofield, also a biophysicist at the University of Oregon.
The arthropods' biting trick
Compared to a human jaw, arthropods' such as ants biting trick is a 'remarkable feat'. Schofield noted that "metal-mouthed arthropods leverage their sharp chompers to apply precisely the right amount of cutting force to slice through leaves or hide."
Although the team of researchers have known that ant teeth have a lot of zinc, how metal atoms were arranged and how it helps the ants' bite remain unknown. Using an ion beam microscope, the...
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