Publications by authors named "Richard Desatnik"
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
November 2023
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the transition of early echinoderms to active mobile detritus feeding, emphasizing the locomotion challenges of extinct species due to the lack of direct evidence.
- A biomimetic soft robot and computational simulations are used to explore the movement mechanics of pleurocystitids, suggesting they moved forward using muscular stems.
- The findings indicate that wide, sweeping gaits were effective for these echinoderms, and longer stems could enhance speed with low energy costs, contributing to the emerging field of "Paleobionics" that merges robotics with evolutionary science.
