Curr Biol September 2025 PMID 40882629

Convergently evolved linear actuators in ballistic tongues.

Yu Zeng, Christopher V Anderson, Stephen M Deban

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Abstract in brief

Rapid animal movements hinge on efficient energy transfer to counteract inertia, particularly in vertebrates where dense tissues limit power output, making chameleons and lungless salamanders' ballistic performances stand out.
These species have independently developed a sliding-based linear actuator mechanism that allows their tongues to launch quickly through muscular squeezing of a skeletal rod, achieving remarkable acceleration and projection speeds across various body sizes.
This biomechanical solution facilitates rapid energy transfer while avoiding the usual limitations of vertebrate muscle, showcasing biomechanical modularity and offering innovative ideas for engineering efficient rapid actuators using a combination of materials.

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All mentions

Biomimetic Fast-Launching Tongue Mechanisms for Medical and Rescue Use

Chameleons and salamanders use a shared slingshotlike tongue mechanism to achieve rapid projection. This discovery is guiding the development of innovative tools for medicine, disaster response, and space exploration by…

Science X: Phys.org, Medical Xpress, Tech Xplore · Sep 9, 2025 944 views

Convergent Evolution of Linear Actuators in Ballistic Animal Tongues

Ever wonder how salamanders and chameleons launch their tongues with accelerations that are roughly 50x greater than a rocket launch? This video explains how these animals have independently evolved a sliding-based…

Dan Riskin · Sep 9, 2025 675 views

Christopher V. Anderson

@CVAnderson_USD · X

RT @AndersonLabUSD: Some nice coverage on our new chameleon and salamander feeding paper: https://t.co/aji4TtBxmc

Sep 10, 2025 · 1 share · 404 followers View post →

Anderson Lab

@AndersonLabUSD · X

Some nice coverage on our new chameleon and salamander feeding paper: https://t.co/aji4TtBxmc

Sep 10, 2025 · 1 like · 1 share · 20 followers View post →

eno.kazuki

@kazkemo · X

Sep 9, 2025 · 1 followers View post →

Cell Press

@CellPressNews · X

"Convergently evolved linear actuators in ballistic tongues." https://t.co/2dfFu4gfMU @USouthFlorida Yu Zeng, Stephen Deban @usd Christopher V. Anderson @CurrentBiology

Sep 1, 2025 · 161,313 followers View post →

Abstream

@abstreamme · X

Convergently evolved linear actuators in ballistic tongues #science #publication #research #publications https://t.co/yzVEE2taEf

Aug 30, 2025 · 786 followers View post →