.... Myliobatidae Biomaterials Rapid prototyping Toughness Bite force Batoids (rays, skates, sawfishes and guitarfishes) comprise over half of the cartilaginous fish diversity and include several lineages that independently evolved hard prey crushing. The myliobatid stingrays are a monophyletic group...

... and biomaterial coevolution in spider orb webs . J. Evol. Biol.   23 , 1839 - 1856 . 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2010.02048.x Shao , Z. and Vollrath , F. ( 1999 ). The effect of solvents on the contraction and mechanical properties of spider silk . Polymer   40 , 1799 - 1806 . 10.1016/S0032-3861...

... and reviewed the manuscript. COMPETING INTERESTS No competing interests declared. 18 7 2013 5 9 2013 © 2013. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd 2013 biomaterials silk flagelliform silk Variability plays an ambivalent role in the performance of biological...

... of Biologists Ltd 2013 biomaterials biomimetics entomology insect biomechanics Cuticle is the second most common natural composite material in the world, and one of the most versatile. All parts of the exoskeletons of insects and other arthropods are made from this fascinating material...

...Cecilia Boutry; Todd Alan Blackledge SUMMARY Spider silk is a promising biomaterial with impressive performance. However, some spider silks also ‘supercontract’ when exposed to water, shrinking by up to ∼50% in length. Supercontraction may provide a critical mechanism to tailor silk properties...

... address: Evolutionary Biomaterials Group,Max-Planck-Institut fuer Metallforschung, Heisenbergstrasse 3, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany (e-mail: [email protected] ) 15 5 2002 © The Company of Biologists Limited 2002 2002 friction locomotion leg cuticle insect biomaterials biomechanics...