Palaeo-bioinspiration draws on the fossil record to advance innovation
Abstract Bioinspiration is an approach to innovation based on the observation of biological systems, of which only 0.1% remain since life began 3.7 billion years ago. Expanding the scope of bioinspiration to the fossil record greatly increases the diversity of potential biological “muses” and provid...
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| Format: | Article |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Communications Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08043-6 |
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| author | Annabelle Aish Chris Broeckhoven Valentin Buffa Tom Challands Anton Du Plessis Tom Fletcher Eberhard Frey Romain Garrouste Alexandra Houssaye Guillaume Lecointre Valentina Perricone Luce-Marie Petit Vikram Shyam Thomas Speck Michael Habib |
| author_facet | Annabelle Aish Chris Broeckhoven Valentin Buffa Tom Challands Anton Du Plessis Tom Fletcher Eberhard Frey Romain Garrouste Alexandra Houssaye Guillaume Lecointre Valentina Perricone Luce-Marie Petit Vikram Shyam Thomas Speck Michael Habib |
| author_sort | Annabelle Aish |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Bioinspiration is an approach to innovation based on the observation of biological systems, of which only 0.1% remain since life began 3.7 billion years ago. Expanding the scope of bioinspiration to the fossil record greatly increases the diversity of potential biological “muses” and provides a means to understand the form, function and origins of current living systems. This extended approach, here termed “palaeo-bioinspiration”, has already been applied to the fields of hydrodynamics, aeromechanics, actuators, protective technology and building construction. To reach its full potential, palaeo-bioinspiration has to overcome the misconception that fossils are “failures” or “primitive”, and temper the widespread belief that extant biodiversity is inherently “optimised”. By encouraging interdisciplinarity, investing in technical infrastructure and collaborating with both Natural Science institutions and industry, palaeo-bioinspiration could become a powerful asset within the bioinspiration domain. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9ccca8dad218401596a8745d32742a02 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2399-3642 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-9ccca8dad218401596a8745d32742a022025-08-20T02:30:46ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422025-06-018111210.1038/s42003-025-08043-6Palaeo-bioinspiration draws on the fossil record to advance innovationAnnabelle Aish0Chris Broeckhoven1Valentin Buffa2Tom Challands3Anton Du Plessis4Tom Fletcher5Eberhard Frey6Romain Garrouste7Alexandra Houssaye8Guillaume Lecointre9Valentina Perricone10Luce-Marie Petit11Vikram Shyam12Thomas Speck13Michael Habib14Bioinspire-Museum, Direction Générale Déléguée à la Recherche, l’Expertise, la Valorisation et l’Enseignement (DGD REVE), Muséum National d’Histoire NaturelleAdvanced Concepts Team, European Space AgencyEvolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, WITSSchool of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, James Hutton RoadResearch Group 3D Innovation, Stellenbosch UniversitySchool of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of LeicesterSonnenbergstraße 27Institut de Systématique, Évolution et Biodiversité, UMR ISYEB 7205 CNRS MNHN SU EPHE UA, Muséum National d’Histoire NaturelleUMR 7179 CNRS/MNHN, Département Adaptations du vivant, Muséum National d’Histoire NaturelleInstitut de Systématique, Évolution et Biodiversité, UMR ISYEB 7205 CNRS MNHN SU EPHE UA, Muséum National d’Histoire NaturelleStazione Zoologica Anthon Dhorn of Naples, Villa ComunaleCentre d’études et d’expertise en biomimétisme, 62 rue du Faubourg Saint-MartinNASA Glenn Research CenterPlant Biomechanics Group @ Botanic Garden, University of FreiburgDinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles CountyAbstract Bioinspiration is an approach to innovation based on the observation of biological systems, of which only 0.1% remain since life began 3.7 billion years ago. Expanding the scope of bioinspiration to the fossil record greatly increases the diversity of potential biological “muses” and provides a means to understand the form, function and origins of current living systems. This extended approach, here termed “palaeo-bioinspiration”, has already been applied to the fields of hydrodynamics, aeromechanics, actuators, protective technology and building construction. To reach its full potential, palaeo-bioinspiration has to overcome the misconception that fossils are “failures” or “primitive”, and temper the widespread belief that extant biodiversity is inherently “optimised”. By encouraging interdisciplinarity, investing in technical infrastructure and collaborating with both Natural Science institutions and industry, palaeo-bioinspiration could become a powerful asset within the bioinspiration domain.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08043-6 |
| spellingShingle | Annabelle Aish Chris Broeckhoven Valentin Buffa Tom Challands Anton Du Plessis Tom Fletcher Eberhard Frey Romain Garrouste Alexandra Houssaye Guillaume Lecointre Valentina Perricone Luce-Marie Petit Vikram Shyam Thomas Speck Michael Habib Palaeo-bioinspiration draws on the fossil record to advance innovation Communications Biology |
| title | Palaeo-bioinspiration draws on the fossil record to advance innovation |
| title_full | Palaeo-bioinspiration draws on the fossil record to advance innovation |
| title_fullStr | Palaeo-bioinspiration draws on the fossil record to advance innovation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Palaeo-bioinspiration draws on the fossil record to advance innovation |
| title_short | Palaeo-bioinspiration draws on the fossil record to advance innovation |
| title_sort | palaeo bioinspiration draws on the fossil record to advance innovation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08043-6 |
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