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Scientists reveal how these ants snap their jaws shut in the blink of an eye


August 30, 2017

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Few victims stand a chance against the formidable mandibles of a trap-jaw ant. In conflicts between predators and prey, speed is a decided advantage, and evolution has given these insects an edge with spring-loaded jaws that snap shut with astonishing speed. In the Aug. 30 issue of the Journal of Experimental Biology, scientists at the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum provide the first mechanical description of the jaws of a little-known group of trap-jaw ants.Full Story

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Smithsonian

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