A worm minimizes its energy expenditure as it forges a path through mud sediment.
Abstract
Until now, the analysis of burrowing mechanics has neglected the mechanical properties of impeding, muddy, cohesive sediments, which behave like elastic solids1. Here we show that burrowers can progress through such sediments by using a mechanically efficient, previously unsuspected mechanism — crack propagation1,2 — in which an alternating ‘anchor’ system of burrowing serves as a wedge to extend the crack-shaped burrow. The force required to propagate cracks through sediment1,2 in this way is relatively small: we find that the force exerted by the annelid worm Nereis virens in making and moving into such a burrow amounts to less than one-tenth of the force it needs to use against rigid aquarium walls3.
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Supplementary information
Supplementary methods
Photoelastic stress analysis was used to determine forces exerted by burrowing animals. The area of the stress field around the worm was converted to stress by calibrating the gelatin with different known forces and measuring the areas of resultant stress fields. (DOC 24 kb)
Movie
The first segment shows a dorsal view of Nereis virens burrowing in gelatin, in which the crack is clearly visible (with polarized light). When the animal everts its pharynx, the crack propagates. The second segment shows a lateral view, with the stress field around the burrowing animal visible as light passing through crossed polarizers. (MPG 14777 kb)
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Dorgan, K., Jumars, P., Johnson, B. et al. Burrow extension by crack propagation. Nature 433, 475 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/433475a
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/433475a
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