Packing a pinch: functional implications of chela shapes in scorpions using finite element analysis.

Journal of Anatomy
Arie van der MeijdenPedro Coelho

Abstract

Scorpions depend on their pedipalps for prey capture, defense, mating and sensing their environment. Some species additionally use their pedipalps for burrowing or climbing. Because the pincers or chelae at the end of the pedipalps vary widely in shape, they have been used as part of a suite of characters to delimit ecomorphotypes. We here evaluate the influence of the different chela cuticular shapes on their performance under natural loading conditions. Chelae of 20 species, representing seven families and spanning most of the range of chela morphologies, were assigned to clusters based on chela shape parameters using hierarchical cluster analysis. Several clusters were identified corresponding approximately to described scorpion ecomorphotypes. Finite element models of the chela cuticulae were constructed from CT scans and loaded with estimated pinch forces based on in vivo force measurements. Chela shape clusters differed significantly in mean Von Mises stress and strain energy. Normalized FEA showed that chela shape significantly influenced Von Mises stress and strain energy in the chela cuticula, with Von Mises stress varying up to an order of magnitude and strain energy up to two orders of magnitude. More elongate, high-...Continue Reading

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Citations

Oct 10, 2014·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·J GoyensJ Dirckx
Jul 12, 2016·Journal of Morphology·Shin-Ichi Fujiwara, Hiroki Kawai
Dec 29, 2016·Journal of Anatomy·Arie van der Meijden, Thomas Kleinteich
Sep 2, 2016·Shoulder & Elbow·Michael ThomasRohit Kulkarni
Jul 21, 2016·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Jana GoyensPeter Aerts
Oct 26, 2018·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Russell D C BicknellJohn R Paterson
Jan 28, 2021·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Russell D C BicknellJohn R Paterson
Dec 12, 2020·Bioinspiration & Biomimetics·Israel KellerszteinH Daniel Wagner
Dec 6, 2020·Zoology : Analysis of Complex Systems, ZACS·František ŠťáhlavskýVera Opatova
Mar 24, 2021·Acta Biomaterialia·M Andrew JansenNico M Franz
Jul 10, 2012·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Arie van der MeijdenMichael Heethoff
May 1, 2021·Experimental & Applied Acarology·Clive E Bowman

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