Breaking down shell strength: inferences from experimental compression and future directions enabled by3Dprinting

• Published in: Biological Reviews
• Main Author: Johnson, Erynn H.
• Other Authors: Division of Graduate Education, Paleontological Society, University of Pennsylvania, National Science Foundation
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2021
• Subjects: Ocean acidification
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/brv.12692; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/brv.12692; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/brv.12692; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/am-pdf/10.1111/brv.12692

ABSTRACT Mollusc and brachiopod shells have served as biological armour for hundreds of millions of years. Studying shell strength in compression experiments can provide insights into macroevolution, predator–prey dynamics, and anthropogenic impacts on aquatic ecosystems. These studies have been conducted across fields including palaeontology, ecology, conservation biology and engineering using a range of techniques for a variety of purposes. Using this approach, studies have demonstrated that predators can cause changes in prey shell morphology in the laboratory over both short timescales and over longer evolutionary timescales. Similarly, environmental factors such as nutrient concentration and ocean acidification have been shown to influence shell strength. Experimental compression tests have been used to study the functional morphology of shell‐crushing predators and to test how the taphonomic state of shells (e.g. presence of drill holes, degree of shell degradation) may influence their likelihood of being preserved in the fossil record. This review covers the basic principles and experimental design of compression tests used to infer shell strength. Although many investigations have used this methodology, few provide a detailed explanation of how meaningfully to interpret data generated using compression experiments for those unfamiliar with this method. Furthermore, this review provides a compilation of the findings of studies that have employed these experimental methods to address specific themes: taphonomy, morphology, predation, environmental variables, and climate change. Many authors have used experimental compression tests, however, disparities among methodologies (e.g. in experimental design, taxa, specimen preservation, etc.) limit the applicability of findings from taxon‐specific studies to broader eco‐evolutionary questions. The review highlights confounding factors, such as shell thickness, size, damage, microstructure, and taphonomic state, and address how they can be mitigated using ...