Mouth sorts and grinds food: platypus

The mouth of a platypus stores food in cheek pouches, and grinds and sorts insect and crustacean prey between keratinized pads that replace teeth.

Biomimicry Taxonomy

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Biomimetic Application Ideas

Design for system of sorting crushable items without excess water. Rock for building purposes, wood or cellulose material for biofuel.

[Collapse all sections] Summary

"Adult monotremes do not have teeth. In early life Ornithorhynchus anatinus possess one premolar and two molars in each maxilla and two or three molars in each mandible. These small teeth are resorbed and replaced by horny pads soon after the young platypuses emerge from the nesting burrow. Despite lack of true teeth, mastication is a significant component of monotreme digestion. In the platypus, insect and crustacean prey are collected into the cheek pouches and throughly ground and sifted to remove much of the exoskeletons." (Fowler and Miller 2003:278)

About the inspiring organism

Platypus
Ornithorhynchus anatinus

IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern
Habitat(s): Forest, Wetlands

Organism/taxonomy data provided by:
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2008 Annual Checklist

Bioinspired products and application ideas

Application Ideas: Design for system of sorting crushable items without excess water. Rock for building purposes, wood or cellulose material for biofuel.

Industrial Sector(s) interested in this strategy: Mining, energy

References

Fowler, ME; Miller, RE. 2003. Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co.

Mouth sorts and grinds food: platypus

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