... tested the hypothesis of the defensive function and ecological significance of the hard body in aposematic Pachyrhynchus weevils pioneered by Alfred Russel Wallace nearly 150 years ago. We used predation trials with Japalura tree lizards to assess the survivorship of ‘hard’ (mature) versus ‘soft...

... be useful for the biomimetic design of surgical tools and in the use of novel mechanisms to bore through hard substrates. * Author for correspondence ( namrata@mecheng.iisc.ernet.in ) Author contributions N.G. conceived and designed the study, supervised experiments and data analysis...

... with wax removed. On both types of waxy surfaces, beetles usually were not able to get a grip and slid over the surfaces, refused to walk and came to a standstill or even turned over on their backs. Fig. 4. Dependence of (A) hardness and (B) elasticity (E) modulus on indentation depth in the intact...

..., 5817 Bergen, Norway (e-mail: chris.glover@nifes.no ) 1 12 2004 © The Company of Biologists Limited 2005 2005 acid precipitation soft water hardness osmoregulation invertebrate Daphnia magna The homeostatic control of ion balance is a major metabolic cost of life...