Avian mud nest architecture by self-secreted saliva
| Autor: | Sohyun Jung, Wonjung Kim, Yeonsu Jung, Sang-im Lee, Ho-Young Kim |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Saliva
granular materials Zoology animal architecture 02 engineering and technology 01 natural sciences Nesting Behavior Nest bird nest biology.animal 0103 physical sciences parasitic diseases Cohesion (geology) polymer adhesion Animals Passeriformes 010306 general physics Multidisciplinary biology 3D printing Biological Sciences Models Theoretical 021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology Bird nest Hirundinidae Applied Physical Sciences Biophysics and Computational Biology Swallows Physical Sciences 0210 nano-technology Geology |
| Zdroj: | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
| ISSN: | 1091-6490 0027-8424 |
| Popis: | Significance We provide a biomechanical explanation of how swallows and phoebes can construct strong nests of incohesive mud granules using saliva as a paste. The analysis leads to a hypothesis for why only 57 small light-weighted bird species (of approximately 10,000 species worldwide) can build mud nests on walls by utilizing their saliva. Our comprehensive study, combining experiments on natural and artificial mud nests and mathematical models on granular cohesion, not only elucidates the physical mechanism of this extraordinary animal architecture, but also provides inspiration to three-dimensional printing technology based on environmentally benign granular materials. Mud nests built by swallows (Hirundinidae) and phoebes (Sayornis) are stable granular piles attached to cliffs, walls, or ceilings. Although these birds have been observed to mix saliva with incohesive mud granules, how such biopolymer solutions provide the nest with sufficient strength to support the weight of the residents as well as its own remains elusive. Here, we elucidate the mechanism of strong granular cohesion by the viscoelastic paste of bird saliva through a combination of theoretical analysis and experimental measurements in both natural and artificial nests. Our mathematical model considering the mechanics of mud nest construction allows us to explain the biological observation that all mud-nesting bird species should be lightweight. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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