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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Jung Y
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7826398 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20210101 3
Mud nests built by swallows (Hirundinidae) and phoebes (<i>Sayornis</i>) are stable granular piles attached to cliffs, walls, or ceilings. Although these birds have been observed to mix saliva with incohesive mud granules, how such biopolymer solutions provide the nest with sufficient strength to support the weight of the residents as well as its own remains elusive. Here, we elucidate the mechanism of strong granular cohesion by the viscoelastic paste of bird saliva through a combination of the ...[more]