The mechanical properties of an unusual, trilayered armour from a deep-sea snail have been revealed by Christine Ortiz of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge and her colleagues.
Using computational and nanometre-scale experimental techniques, they determined the mechanisms used by this mollusc (pictured), from the Kairei Indian hydrothermal vent field, to dissipate energy and prevent fracture of its shell during predatory attacks.
A rigid iron-based outer layer provides a first line of defence against microfractures, whereas a more flexible organic middle layer assists in dissipating energy and arresting cracks. An inner rigid calcified layer provides structural support and resists bending.
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Biomaterials: Super snail shells. Nature 463, 404 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/463404c
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/463404c
