How Grasshopper Mouths Resemble Those of Mammals
Published:16 Mar.2022 Source:University of Leicester
New research led by palaeobiologists at the University of Leicester has identified startling similarities between the mouths of grasshoppers and mammal teeth.
The team of researchers used sophisticated three-dimensional imaging techniques to precisely map the shape of grasshopper's mandibles, and present their findings in Methods in Ecology and Evolution, published today (Wednesday). There are around 11,000 known species of grasshopper. It likely comes as a surprise that not all grasshoppers eat grass. In fact, they play a range of important roles in grasslands and other ecosystems -- some are even carnivorous.