Remember the Digimorph turtle scans we showed on our Facebook page last month (ow.ly/AJXpa)? These scans were made to help scientists to better understand the strength of the specimen’s shells. In this video the computer is simulating a predator, probably a coyote, biting a 3D computer model of our Kinosternon subrubrum specimen’s shell with a force of 500 Newton (about 112 lbs.). The shell is held in place at four points (representing four of the predators teeth) on the bottom, and a force is placed on one point (another tooth) on the top of the shell. The colors on the shell in this film represent stresses, with hot colors, like white, red, or orange, representing high stresses, and cool colors, like blue and green, representing low stresses. If the force was large enough, the shell would break first in the areas with the hottest colors. Why study turtle shell strength? Not only does it help scientists understand turtle biology, it also answers questions about how shell strength affects other shell functions, such as swimming. Answers to these questions can be used to answer similar questions about other animals, or even to manmade structures like submersibles or bicycle helmets - things that need to be both strong and streamlined.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 17:05:00 +0000