Complex fluids in animal survival strategies

Area of Science:

• * Fluid Dynamics and Rheology
• * Animal Behavior and Ethology
• * Biomaterials Science

Background:

• * Animals employ diverse survival strategies driven by selective pressures.
• * Complex fluids, both endogenous (e.g., mucus) and exogenous (e.g., sand), play a crucial role in these strategies.
• * The rheological properties of these fluids are integral to animal behaviors such as reproduction and predator defense.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To review how animals exploit flow phenomena using complex fluids.
• * To highlight the importance of rheological properties in animal survival and behavior.
• * To propose rheology and material science as quantitative approaches for studying these biological systems.

Main Methods:

• * Literature review of animal interactions with complex fluids.
• * Analysis of rheological properties of endogenous and exogenous fluids.
• * Examination of sensory mechanisms animals use to detect fluid rheology.

Main Results:

• * Animals manipulate habitats or secrete complex fluids to exploit flow phenomena.
• * The time-dependent rheology of complex fluids critically influences biological behaviors.
• * Animals possess mechanisms to sense and utilize fluid rheology within specific timeframes.

Conclusions:

• * Rheology and material science offer valuable quantitative frameworks for studying animal-fluid interactions.
• * Understanding these interactions can inform the design of biomimetic materials.
• * Further research into the poorly studied rheological properties of biological materials is warranted.