A jumping insect has gears, a new report reveals. The research shows that gears, which have been previously thought to be a man-made invention, also evolved in nature.

The planthopper, a tiny insect, has gears on its hind legs that allow it to jump extremely fast. After much difficulty, scientists finally verified that the tiny insect can jump so far because of even-tinier gears.

Nature beat humans to inventing gears, apparently-or, more simply, man and nature converged on the same principle. It's a rare case of synchronicity.

The new study, published in "Science", shows that the planthopper, a tiny insect a bit bigger than the flea, can jump with an acceleration of 200 Gs. This is a level close to the highest that's ever been survived by a human.

To conduct the study, scientists put the planthoppers on their backs on sticky wax, then rubbed their tummies gently to prompt them to jump. The researchers used a high-speed camera and a microscope to capture the bugs' legs wheeling in action...and found that they did, well, sort of wheel. As in, there were gears churning. Literally.

The bugs have toothed gears at the base of their hind legs. The planthopper's gears inter-mesh to synchronize the timing of each limb's release as they jump.

Neurobiologist Malcolm Burrows and engineer Gregory P. Sutton, both of the University of Cambridge, conducted the study.

"It's remarkable that these gears look so similar to the gears man has designed, even the individual teeth are so similar," Burrows said.

The gear mechanism ensures that the legs are always locked together and fire at once, which allows the insects to go farther and faster.

If the gears were not synchronized, the bug's body would spin instead of going straight forward; a one-legged planthopper can only spin in circles.

Sure, many animals can jump-but precious energy is wasted on motion that rotates, rather than leaps straight ahead.

The gears function much like the string on a bow, propelling them forward, Burrows explained. "You suddenly let go and the arrow goes much faster than if you were to throw it directly," he said.

The planthoppers also have gear strips that allow them to land near the base of their hind leg. The landing strips, which have about ten teeth each, molt away in adulthood-much like training wheels on a bicycle.

The scientists are not yet sure how the gears evolved, but speculate that they may have first been akin to smaller bumps within the legs, and they then grew larger until they became full-fledged teeth.