Locusts spun in a centrifuge develop extra-strong exoskeletons

When the gravity acting on them is increased, locusts adapt. Locusts placed in a centrifuge to mimic the conditions of hypergravity grew tougher legs than those living normally – but not all of them survived the process. Many biological materials, such as bone and wood, can adapt and become stronger under physical strain, but it isn't clear whether animals with shell-like exoskeletons can adapt in the same way as those with internal skeletons. Karen Stamm and Jan-Henning Dirks at the City University of Applied Sciences in Bremen, Germany, studied this by placing locusts inside a specially designed centrifuge to stress-test their exoskeletons using simulated hypergravity. The locusts were assigned to one of four gravity conditions: 1g – which is typical gravity at sea level and didn't involve a centrifuge – and 3g, 5g or 8g conditions, all of which did involve centrifuging the insects.