Ammonites' shells as mechanical oscillators

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• Alexander Erlich, University of Manchester
• Thursday 26 October 2017, 12:00-13:00
• Nuffield G17.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Fabian Spill.

Compared to the intricate patterns observed in seashells, modern 3D printers seem almost primitive. To better understand the emergence of sophisticated patterns in the morphogenesis of seashells, we develop a morpho-elastic model for the growth of ammonites’s shells. Based on fundamental principles of growth and mechanics, we establish a mechanical basis for the relationships between the spiral-shaped coiling pattern, the oscillatory ribbing pattern and elliptic cross-section shape of the shells. Specifically, this is achieved by modeling the stretching, bending and active growth of the soft shell-generating organ. We demonstrate that our model is consistent with Buckman’s Law, which is a gold standard collection of rules about the relationship of geometry and ribbing in ammonite’s shells.

This talk is part of the Applied Mathematics Seminar Series series.

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• Applied Mathematics Seminar Series
• Nuffield G17
• School of Mathematics Events

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