The mechanical properties of red deer antler bone when used in fighting
The mechanical properties of red deer antler bone when used in fighting
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DOI：
10.1242/jeb.032292
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发表时间：
2009-12-15
影响因子：
2.8
通讯作者：
Gallego, L.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Currey, J. D.;Landete-Castillejos, T.;Gallego, L.
我们评估了鹿角的水合状态及其与湿股骨相比对鹿角机械性能的影响。从鹿茸脱落后几天到季节末期，在不同时间将红鹿鹿角从头部取下，并每周称重直至铸造时间后。鹿角刚脱毛后，在最初几周内体重迅速减轻，然后稳定下来，重量变化很小，后者的变化与空气相对湿度有关。后来切割的鹿角在任何时候都显示出很少的重量变化。切割后评估对侧鹿角皮质和小梁部分的含水量。大部分重量减轻来自鹿角的松质骨部分，而不是皮质部分。对鹿角的湿样本和干样本以及鹿股骨的湿样本进行了机械测试。与湿骨相比，湿鹿角的弹性模量和弯曲强度要低得多，但断裂功较高。与湿骨相比，干鹿角的杨氏模量稍低，但弯曲强度高得多，断裂功高得多。干鹿角的冲击能量吸收比湿骨大得多。红鹿的鹿角在战斗中实际上是干燥的，至少在西班牙南部是这样。此外，与普通骨头相比，干鹿角表现出的机械特性非常适合其战斗功能。
We assessed the hydration state of antlers and its effect on antler mechanical properties compared with wet femur. Red deer antlers were removed from the head at various times, from a few days after velvet shedding till late in the season, and weighed weekly until after casting time. Antlers cut just after losing their velvet lost weight rapidly in the first few weeks, then settled down and changed weight very little, the latter changes correlating with air relative humidity. Antlers cut later showed little weight change at any time. The water content of cortical and trabecular parts of the contralateral antler was assessed after cutting. Most of the weight loss was from the cancellous, not the cortical, part of the antler. Wet and dry specimens from the antlers, and wet specimens from deer femora, were tested mechanically. Compared with wet bone, wet antler had a much lower modulus of elasticity and bending strength, but a higher work to fracture. Compared with wet bone, dry antler showed a somewhat lower Young's modulus, but a considerably higher bending strength and a much higher work to fracture. The impact energy absorption of dry antler was much greater than that of wet bone. In red deer, the antler is effectively dry during its use in fights, at least in southern Spain. In addition, dry antler, compared with ordinary bone, shows mechanical properties that suit it admirably for its fighting function.