The animation shows the changes in form as the trap-jaw mechanism becomes more divergent from the ancestral form. The jaws (yellow) develop small projections that can latch onto the labrum (purple).

That model suggested that the split ensures that the stress on the joint between the mandible and the ant’s head is zero. The study authors found that if the energy generated by the jaw closing is ...

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in the UK have built a prototype “hairy robotic gripper” that is inspired by the hairs found on ant jaws. Ants are not only excellent nest builders but are ...