National Geographic News, Reporting Your World Daily

Monday, November 23, 2009

Photo: Squid Beaks Use Chemical Trick to Keep From Tearing Off


Email to a Friend	<< Back to Full Story

The beak of a jumbo, or Humboldt, squid contains razor-sharp upper and lower portions embedded in soft muscle tissue. Until now, the puzzle of how squid could use their beaks without damaging their underlying tissue had baffled scientists.

But new research has revealed that squid create a gradient of hardness and stiffness from beak to tip that helps dissipate the stresses of biting.

Photograph © Science