![]() In a previous study, we noticed that both the shape of the vertebrae and the way the musculature is organised changes along the tail. And so we got the 3D structure to move, like a real tail would. This resulted in a virtual model resembling an actual chameleon tail – or at least, a part of it – onto which the software allowed us to apply forces from each of those virtual muscles. ![]() From that we developed a 3D model of the tail vertebrae, entered it into the simulation software, and added each muscle to it, one by one. A CT scanner allowed us to make incredibly high resolution scans (the chameleons in this case were already dead they were museum specimens). This computer simulation approach is called multibody dynamic analysis, an engineering technique that biologists have adopted to explore how animals are able to move.įirst, we needed accurate anatomical data. Using an engineering software package, ADAMS, we connected separate bodies (in this case, chameleon vertebrae) with hinges (representing the joints), and applied (muscle) forces onto them. Such models have a big advantage: the more they resemble living animals, the less researchers have to rely on living animals to answer their questions.īut what does it take to build an independent tail? That’s where a technology more commonly used in engineering sciences came in. So, we needed models of an independent tail that could be moved in many controlled ways, and into which we could build the muscles. This wasn’t as simple as examining chameleon tails attached to the animals – imagine commanding a chameleon to use its tail in the way a group of humans want it to. Most recently, we published the results of a study on how shape variation in chameleons’ tail vertebrae affects the way they move. We focus on the shape of the tail vertebrae and the musculature, looking for adaptations that help explain how these tails are able to do the things they do. My colleagues and I, from the Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates group at Belgium’s Ghent University, are conducting research that looks at the anatomy of vertebrate tails, including that of chameleons. For instance, such a strong and flexible structure might be useful in various industries. Figuring this out isn’t just interesting: understanding how such complex mechanical systems work in nature has many potential applications, since so many things in our daily lives are, in a way, inspired by nature. While we know that most chameleons have prehensile tails, it’s not yet clear how these work and what makes them simultaneously so flexible and strong. This frees the legs so it can reach the next branch, allowing it to cross greater distances and reducing the risk of falling. Having a prehensile tail allows chameleons, which often live in trees and bushes, to firmly grasp onto a branch. These tails are called prehensile, an adaptation found among some monkeys, seahorses – and chameleons. ![]() Some tails are even able to grasp an object firmly and allow the animal to hang its full body weight on it. For instance, tails can help with locomotion, to keep balance, and to communicate with others. Tails come in all shapes and sizes and can be used for all sorts of things. ![]()
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