Functional consequences of convergently evolved microscopic skin features on snake locomotion.

ABSTRACT: The small structures that decorate biological surfaces can significantly affect behavior, yet the diversity of animal-environment interactions essential for survival makes ascribing functions to structures challenging. Microscopic skin textures may be particularly important for snakes and other limbless locomotors, where substrate interactions are mediated solely through body contact. While previous studies have characterized ventral surface features of some snake species, the functional consequences of these textures are not fully understood. Here, we perform a comparative study, combining atomic force microscopy measurements with mathematical modeling to generate predictions that link microscopic textures to locomotor performance. We discover an evolutionary convergence in the ventral sk

SUBMITTER: Rieser JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8017952 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature