Mechanical properties of the rostrum of the whale Mesoplodon densirostris, a remarkably dense bony tissue |
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| Authors: | P. Zioupos,,J. D. Currey,,A. Casinos, V. De, Buffré nil |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Biology, P.O. Box 373, University of York, York YO1 5YW, U.K.;Department de Biologia Animal (Vertebrats), Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 645, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;Équipe 'Formations squelettiques' (URA 1137), Laboratoire d'Anatomie comparée, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, 55, rue Buff on, F-75005 Paris, France |
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| Abstract: | The rostrum of the toothed whale Mesoplodon densirostris is notable for the density of its bone. We examined the mechanical, fractographic, and chemical properties of the rostral material for two purposes: 1) to determine the properties of bone of an extreme density, and to compare these properties with other similar, and also more ordinary, bone; 2) to determine whether the mechanical properties could give any clues as to the function of the very dense rostral bone.
The bone was found to be the most highly mineralized, stiffest, and hardest bone known. It was very weak in bending. The salient properties of the bone, and those of two others which are given for comparison are: |
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