"Mapping the weapons involved high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and micro-X-ray fluorescence imaging, allowing researchers to create color-coded maps of the stingers and pincers, revealing detailed metal localization."
"Zinc was found to be highly concentrated at the extreme tip of the aculeus, which is crucial for ensuring the strength of the stinger's tip, while manganese dominated in a distinct region lower in the aculeus."
Scorpions possess metals like zinc, manganese, and iron in their stingers and pincers. Research by Campbell and colleagues revealed that these metal distributions are not accidental but evolved. They studied 18 scorpion taxa using advanced imaging techniques to create detailed maps of metal localization. Zinc is concentrated at the tip of the stinger for hardness, while manganese is prevalent just below the tip, indicating a specific evolutionary adaptation related to their hunting strategies.
Read at Ars Technica
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