It emerges that a dogfish shark's spine becomes stiffer as the fish swims faster, enabling the animal to swim efficiently at different speeds. The finding could also provide inspiration for the design of robotic biomaterials.
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Kolmann, M., Summers, A. Sharks shift their spine into high gear. Nature 540, 532–533 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature21102
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature21102