Scorpions Are Literally Metal, Study Reveals

Key Points:

• New research from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History reveals that scorpions have metals such as zinc, manganese, and iron embedded in their pincers and stingers, which aid in hunting and defense.
• The study examined 18 scorpion species using electron microscopy and X-rays, finding zinc concentrated at stinger tips and on the cutting edges of pincers, with an evolutionary trade-off between zinc presence in tails versus pincers.
• Contrary to expectations, species with stronger pincers had less zinc, suggesting zinc enhances wear resistance in weaker claws rather than strength in crushing claws.
• The findings, published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, suggest that metal enrichment is likely a universal trait among the nearly 3,000 scorpion species.
• Future research aims to explore metal presence across more species, its relation to diet and sex differences, and whether similar metal enrichment occurs in other arthropods like spiders, bees, and wasps.