Overlooked sources of inspiration in biomimetic research

Biomimetics draws inspiration from biological organisms, yet only a small fraction of Earth's biodiversity has been explored for innovation. This study examines the biological models used in biomimetic research. Using GPT-4o, we analyzed 74,359 publications and identified 31,776 biological models, revealing distinct taxonomic distribution patterns. Our findings highlight a reliance on a narrow set of animal taxa; fewer than 23% of identified models were resolved at the species level-corresponding to 1,604 species; and broad taxonomic classifications (e.g., phylum, class) were more frequently cited. Despite the rapid growth of biomimetics, the exploration of new model taxa falters. Researchers tend to focus on one model per study, potentially limiting the field's capacity to leverage evolutionary insights. To promote diversity and innovation in biomimetics, we advocate for stronger collaboration with biologists to integrate underutilized yet well-researched taxa, specify biological inspirations at the species level to enhance evolutionary insights, and-where appropriate-incorporate multiple models, enabling the use of comparative methods.