Biomimicry
Again and again, nature has solved a problem millions of years before we even thought to ask the question — and clever people have copied the answer. These are stories of a creature or a plant that got there first, and the inventions that followed. Pick one to explore, or filter them by school subject and year group.
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19 examples
The kingfisher and the bullet train
Common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
The lotus leaf that never gets dirty
Sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)
The gecko that walks up walls
Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko)
The whale that improved the wind turbine
Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
The termite mound that inspired a building with no air conditioning
African termite (Macrotermes michaelseni)
The shark skin that stops germs spreading
Shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) and related species
The beetle that drinks the fog
Namib desert beetle (Stenocara gracilipes) and several desert plants
The mussel's miracle glue
Common mussel (Mytilus edulis) and related species
The shrimp with the world's most powerful punch
Peacock mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus)
The owl that flies in silence
Barn owl (Tyto alba) and related species
The burr that invented Velcro
Greater burdock / lesser burdock (Arctium lappa / Arctium minus)
The boxy fish and the low-drag car
Yellow boxfish (Ostracion cubicus)
The spider's thread stronger than steel
Orb-weaver spiders, principally golden silk orb-weaver (Nephila spp.) and garden cross spider (Araneus diadematus)
The bee that pulls pollen with static
Honeybee (Apis mellifera) and bumblebees (Bombus species)
The body's shortcut that acts before you think
Human (Homo sapiens) — and every animal with a backbone
The beetle that makes light without heat
Glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca) — which is really a beetle, not a worm
The fish that powered the very first battery
Electric eel (Electrophorus electricus)
The butterfly with invisible wings
Glasswing butterfly (Greta oto)
The beetle with a built-in spray gun
Bombardier beetle (Brachinus crepitans)