Zinc protein teeth allow ants to pack more punch for their size

Study shows how individual atoms of zinc are arranged to maximise cutting efficiency Ants, scorpions and crabs are able to deliver powerful bites and stings thanks to the arrangement of heavy metal and halogen atoms on their teeth, claws and stingers, researchers have found. While larger animals use mineralised impact tools - such as antlers or teeth - smaller creatures need to deliver more power relative to their size so they use heavy element biomaterials (HEBs) to cut.