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Portfolio Adrian Smith
all about sharing science. Beyond sharing my research projects and the work of my colleagues, I try to also use the scientific tools I have to generate content that provides new ways to look at and appreciate insects. Any interesting functional morphology, biomechanics and/or behaviour stories you can tell us? Yes! I have been slowly working on a project with globular springtails. They are tiny soil arthropods that have a spring-loaded appendage tucked under their body that
they use to catapult themselves spinning into the air. Their spinning jumps have them rotating at over 370 backflips/sec. I’ve published 2 videos about that project, and am continuing to film them and analyze their jumps. The best thing about them is that they are everywhere, and very little work has been done on this incredible aspect of their behavior. All of the work I’ve done on them, so far, has been from individuals I’ve collected from my backyard. I’ve also started a project on cockroaches and the mechanics of their jumping ability. There’s an incredible kind of roach from South Africa that is called a leaproach. It
Globular springtails jump and spin faster than any animal on earth?! | Ant Lab https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu01EUeE5PM
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