RapportFondation 2025 V02 EN light - Flipbook - Page 71
2024 REPORT
BELGIUM
REPTILE EGGS UNDER THE MAGNIFYING GLASS:
from evolution to biomimetics
AMOUNT COMMITTED TO DATE: WE CONTRIBUTE
THROUGH TIME-INVESTMENT OF OUR TEAMS.
2022 > 2023
Pairi Daiza is supporting the research of Gerben Debruyn, a PhD student at Ghent University who is studying the
fascinating diversity of reptile eggs. From calcified turtle eggs to the more supple eggs of snakes and lizards, these
structures reveal a unique way of adapting to different environments.
By analysing eggshells (from eggs not destined for reproduction) carefully collected and preserved by Pairi Daiza’s
keepers for several months, Gerben Debruyn explores how the calcium content and thickness of the shell influence
their flexibility and function, key to understanding how species adapt to ecological change. His aim is to learn
how morphology and chemical composition affect the embryo’s survival and development. His research could also
explain the antimicrobial properties of eggs, crucial for protecting the embryo in sometimes hostile environments.
He is also looking at how the architecture of eggs has evolved and how it may have influenced the diversification
of reptile lineage. Lastly, Gerben Debruyn’s work could inspire the development of new biomimetic materials, by
tapping into the unique properties discovered in reptile eggs.
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