For the first time a gear was found in a living being.

Biologists from the University of Cambridge for the first time in history have discovered a gear transmission in the body of a living being. Naturally, it appeared there long before the human engineers invented the same design.



With the help of gears, the small insect Issus synchronizes the hind limbs during repulsion before jumping.





')

Issus is quite common in Europe, so a similar discovery could have been made before. Gearing on the hind legs Issus appeared as a result of evolution. Characteristically, it is present only at the larval stage, and then disappears as the insect grows.



Each Issus gear has a diameter of about 400 micrometers and contains from 10 to 12 teeth. On both legs the same number of teeth, which corresponds to a gear ratio of 1: 1.



Scientific work published in the journal Science (paid access, free copy ).