Nature & Environment

Limpets possess world's strongest teeth

By T.K. Randall
February 18, 2015 ·  14 comments

Limpets can be commonly found at the beach. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 Hartlepool Marina When it comes to strong materials in the animal kingdom spiders' silk is usually the first thing that springs to mind, but now scientists have identified something even stronger and it comes from one of the most unlikeliest of creatures imaginable.

The common limpet, an aquatic snail that clings on to rocks and can be found along shorelines all over the world, possesses teeth so strong that researchers had to resort to using a diamond saw in order to cut in to them.Their sheer strength, which is comparable to that of some of the strongest man-made materials, could prove invaluable in the construction of cars, boats, planes and even false teeth.

"The strength of limpet teeth is, on average, 4.9 GPa - that is like trying to break a piece of spaghetti with 3,000 bags of sugar," said study leader Professor Asa Barber.

"Limpet tooth strength is comparable to the fibres used in bullet-proof vests and the carbon fibres commonly used in composites for aerospace structures and Formula 1 cars."

Source: Independent | Comments (14)

Tags: Limpets