The teeth covering a shark's body is what makes this fish such a good hunter, new research shows. Sharks are covered in flexible scales, nearly invisible to the human eye, that are made of the same material as teeth. Previous research had suggested that a shark can "bristle" or manipulate its scales to change its direction mid-sprint-agility that's crucial for capturing fast-moving prey such as tuna. A recent experiment shows that sharks don't actively move their scales which are loosely embedded in the skin via rubber band-like tendons. Instead, the structures bristle when water flowing around the shark "detaches" from the fish's aerodynamic body. The way the scales turn helps reduce the water's drag on the speeding shark. Overall, sharks' 400 million years of evolution for strength and speed may someday inspire better designs for machines that are prone to drag, such as aircrafts. I think studying the mechanism of species such as sharks can later on be incredibly helpful towards making other man made artifacts have the same speed and strength such as mentioned, aircrafts but also trains, rockets, boats, etc.
Link to site: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/11/101123-shark-scales-speed-animals-environment/
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