Previously believed to be only human-made, a natural example of a functioning gear mechanism has been discovered in a common insect -- showing that evolution developed interlocking cogs long before we did.British researchers announced their discovery after studying the juvenile Issus, "a plant-hopping insect found in gardens across Europe." That discovery: Cog wheels connecting the hind legs of the insect that had not previously been credited with a mechanical engineering degree.
Anyone feeling unduly deflated by this discovery may want to consider that there was no mention in the research announcement of whether the Issus could shoot rubber bands or pick its nose.
There can be no real wheels for locomotion in biological systems because the wheel must be physically independent of its host while functioning for it .Thus it cannot be sustained by the host to remain alive, unless it is another organism functioning symbiotically with the host or is wholly a wheel on its own.
ReplyDeleteBoghos L. Artinian MD