Transverse pseudopodia formation not explained by the adaptive H-P approach

Investigate the mechanism responsible for the formation of pseudopodia that extend transverse to the main growth direction of channels in Physarum polycephalum, and determine how such transverse protrusions could be accounted for within the adaptive Hagen–Poiseuille flow framework used in this paper.

Background

The authors simulate Physarum-like network growth and adaptation using adaptive Hagen–Poiseuille flows under both synchronous and asynchronous sink activation, reproducing several observed features such as thicker veins near sources and branching toward the periphery.

Despite these successes, they explicitly note that their approach does not explain the development of transverse pseudopodia—lateral protrusions that form perpendicular to the main growth direction—highlighting a specific, unresolved modeling gap related to Physarum’s morphology.