Greg O’Beirne [creativecommons license] via Wikimedia CommonsThe adhesion and locomotion systems of geckos have been of interest in the biological and biotechnological worlds for decades. Research has uncovered the structure of geckos’ feet and the mechanisms underlying their exceptional clinging ability. But until recently, not much was known about when and how geckos activate their traction systems. Now, Anthony P. Russell (University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada) and Timothy E. Higham (Clemson University, SC) have shown that the adhesion system is triggered by gravity.
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