Previous studies showed that an animals bite force were dependent on the size and the strength of the eater, but in recent studies, bite force is also dependent upon the size of what is being eaten. Scientists at Brown university hypothesized that the preparation for a bite will decrease the amount of force needed to take a bite. Led by Nicholas Gidmark, this group of scientists conducted a series of experiments on the black carp which consisted of coating ceramic tubes, of varying diameter and length, with varying amounts of polyurethane to change the strength of each tube. Each tube would serve as an item for the carp to bite onto, and were designed to measure the force the carp exert.
The carp were then implanted with metal balls in order to measure their jaw spread. After the experiment, the scientist dissected the fish to gather more precise data all the while keeping the jaw connected to a force transducer. With their data, they plugged it into a 3-D animator to give them a better understanding of the carps muscle stretch. The data collected proved that they had a valid hypothesis, and that the amount of stretch can affect how strong a bite is. Each animal has its own optimal biting range, where it is capable of producing a greater force when biting. This is significant because as evolution occurs, the prey will grow and cause difficulty for the smaller predator to consume what was once their primary source of food.
NOS Themes:
Science is experimental and requires constant verification of findings. If data isn't revised then claims made by a party can easily be noted as invalid, and will lower your creditability. The data collected was repeatedly analyzed by computer and by human dissection.
Science is a gradual process, an experiment should not be rushed. When implanting the metal balls into the carps jaws, the scientists had to wait an extended amount of time until the carp returned to its normal state.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130212210116.htm
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