The researchers of the Queen Mary University of London have released the results of their study on deer antlers. In particular, the "secret" of the consistency of the antlers of these ungulates and how they are able to withstand even the most violent shocks. The research team analyzed the molecular structure of the horns, managing to identify the main mechanisms of "functioning" through a very sophisticated computer system that makes use of X-ray.
The nerve fibrils are distributed in a fairly common way, but in this case the energy of any impact is absorbed, above all when the deer face each other. According to the lead author of the research, Paolino DeFranco (School of Engineering and Materials Science), interesting possibilities are now opening up, given that the "secret" of these horns could be exploited to develop a new generation of materials capable of withstanding any type of impact. The next phase of the study will be the creation of a model printed in 3D with the same configuration of deer fibers and an elastic interface.