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Li Y, Guo Z, Zhao X, Liu S, Chen Z, Dong WF, Wang S, Sun YL, Wu X. An all-optical multidirectional mechano-sensor inspired by biologically mechano-sensitive hair sensilla. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2906. [PMID: 38575578 PMCID: PMC10994919 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47299-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Mechano-sensitive hair-like sensilla (MSHS) have an ingenious and compact three-dimensional structure and have evolved widely in living organisms to perceive multidirectional mechanical signals. Nearly all MSHS are iontronic or electronic, including their biomimetic counterparts. Here, an all-optical mechano-sensor mimicking MSHS is prototyped and integrated based on a thin-walled glass microbubble as a flexible whispering-gallery-mode resonator. The minimalist integrated device has a good directionality of 32.31 dB in the radial plane of the micro-hair and can detect multidirectional displacements and forces as small as 70 nm and 0.9 μN, respectively. The device can also detect displacements and forces in the axial direction of the micro-hair as small as 2.29 nm and 3.65 μN, respectively, and perceive different vibrations. This mechano-sensor works well as a real-time, directional mechano-sensory whisker in a quadruped cat-type robot, showing its potential for innovative mechano-transduction, artificial perception, and robotics applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxiang Li
- School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhihe Guo
- School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuyang Zhao
- School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sheng Liu
- School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Wen-Fei Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China
| | - Shixiang Wang
- School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yun-Lu Sun
- School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Xiang Wu
- School of Information Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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Dougill G, Brassey CA, Starostin EL, Andrews H, Kitchener A, van der Heijden GHM, Goss VGA, Grant RA. Describing whisker morphology of the Carnivora. J Morphol 2023; 284:e21628. [PMID: 37585221 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
One of the largest ecological transitions in carnivoran evolution was the shift from terrestrial to aquatic lifestyles, which has driven morphological diversity in skulls and other skeletal structures. In this paper, we investigate the association between those lifestyles and whisker morphology. However, comparing whisker morphology over a range of species is challenging since the number of whiskers and their positions on the mystacial pads vary between species. Also, each whisker will be at a different stage of growth and may have incurred damage due to wear and tear. Identifying a way to easily capture whisker morphology in a small number of whisker samples would be beneficial. Here, we describe individual and species variation in whisker morphology from two-dimensional scans in red fox, European otter and grey seal. A comparison of long, caudal whiskers shows inter-species differences most clearly. We go on to describe global whisker shape in 24 species of carnivorans, using linear approximations of curvature and taper, as well as traditional morphometric methods. We also qualitatively examine surface texture, or the presence of scales, using scanning electron micrographs. We show that gross whisker shape is highly conserved, with whisker curvature and taper obeying simple linear relationships with length. However, measures of whisker base radius, length, and maybe even curvature, can vary between species and substrate preferences. Specifically, the aquatic species in our sample have thicker, shorter whiskers that are smoother, with less scales present than those of terrestrial species. We suggest that these thicker whiskers may be stiffer and able to maintain their shape and position during underwater sensing, but being stiffer may also increase wear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Dougill
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Charlotte A Brassey
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Eugene L Starostin
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, UK
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Hayley Andrews
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Andrew Kitchener
- Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gert H M van der Heijden
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Victor G A Goss
- School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, UK
| | - Robyn A Grant
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
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3
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Attard MRG, Lewis A, Wroe S, Hughes C, Rogers TL. Whisker growth in Tasmanian devils (
Sarcophilus harrisii
) and applications for stable isotope studies. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marie R. G. Attard
- Department of Biological Sciences Royal Holloway University of London Egham TW20 0EX UK
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Anna Lewis
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
- The Carnivore Conservancy Ulverstone Tasmania Australia
| | - Stephen Wroe
- Function, Evolution and Anatomy Research Laboratory School of Environmental and Rural Science University of New England Armidale New South Wales Australia
| | - Channing Hughes
- The Carnivore Conservancy Ulverstone Tasmania Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Tracey L. Rogers
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
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Grant RA, Goss VGA. What can whiskers tell us about mammalian evolution, behaviour, and ecology? Mamm Rev 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Robyn A. Grant
- Department of Natural Sciences Manchester Metropolitan University John Dalton Building, Chester Street ManchesterM1 5GDUK
| | - Victor G. A. Goss
- School of Engineering London South Bank University Borough Road LondonSE1 0AAUK
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Lübcker N, Whiteman JP, Millar RP, de Bruyn PJN, Newsome SD. Fasting affects amino acid nitrogen isotope values: a new tool for identifying nitrogen balance of free-ranging mammals. Oecologia 2020; 193:53-65. [PMID: 32300864 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04645-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Changes in the nutritional status of free-ranging animals have a strong influence on individual fitness, yet it remains challenging to monitor longitudinally. Nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) isotope values measured chronologically along the length of metabolically inert keratinous tissues can be used as a nutritional biomarker to retrospectively reconstruct the foraging ecology and eco-physiology of consumers. We quantitatively describe the physiological effects of fasting on amino acid metabolism using sequentially measured bulk tissue and amino acid δ15N values along the length of whiskers sampled from free-ranging juvenile, subadults, adult female, and male southern elephant seals (SES; Mirounga leonina) on Marion Island in the Southern Ocean. For both juveniles and adult females, whisker segments representing fasting had significantly higher bulk tissue δ15N values of 0.6 ± 0.5‰ and 1.3-1.8‰, respectively, in comparison to segments unaffected by fasting. We also found a large increase (2-6‰) in δ15N values for most glucogenic amino acids and a simultaneous depletion (2-3‰) of alanine in segments reflecting fasting, which enabled us to accurately predict (74%) the nutritional status of our model species. We hypothesize that the glucose-alanine cycle is the mechanism driving the observed depletion of alanine δ15N values during fasting. We demonstrated that keratinaceous tissues can be used as a longitudinal nutritional biomarker to detect changes in the nitrogen balance of an individual. Moreover, it is evident that physiological factors have an important influence on tissue δ15N values and can lead to erroneous bulk tissue or amino acid isotope-based reconstructions of foraging habits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico Lübcker
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa.
| | - John P Whiteman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA.,Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Robert P Millar
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
| | - P J Nico de Bruyn
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa
| | - Seth D Newsome
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
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Smith J, Karpovich S, Horstmann L, McIntyre J, O’Brien DM. Seasonal differences in foraging and isotopic niche width related to body size in Gulf of Alaska harbor seals. CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina Linnaeus, 1758) use different foraging strategies based on body size and sex, but this difference can be difficult to evaluate across seasons. We used stable isotope analysis of harbor seal whiskers from 32 individuals to assess seasonal foraging of seals inhabiting tidewater glacial habitat in Southeast Alaska. We analyzed stable isotope ratios from serial sections of whiskers, estimated deposition date for each section, and used mixed models to determine if sex and body size influence stable isotope ratios. Seals were grouped by size (>1.4 m or ≤1.4 m curvilinear length) as a proxy for sexual maturity to describe isotopic differences between groups using standard ellipse corrected area. Mean carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios differed significantly between size classes (p < 0.005), with no effect of sex. Larger seals exhibited a broader isotopic niche in the fall, winter, and spring relative to smaller seals, but not in the summer. Our results suggest that seals using tidewater glacial habitat share common foraging behavior in the summer, while larger seals exhibit more diverse foraging throughout the rest of the year. These results highlight the importance of tidewater glacial habitat for this population of harbor seals during the summer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Smith
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 1300 College Road, Fairbanks, AK 99701, USA
| | - Shawna Karpovich
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 1300 College Road, Fairbanks, AK 99701, USA
| | - Lara Horstmann
- College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 232 Irving II, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Julie McIntyre
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 513 Ambler Lane, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Diane M. O’Brien
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000, USA
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