Traction forces display distinct spatial distributions in the absence of chemotactic cues. (A) TFM showing substrate displacement maps in mesenchymal and epithelial-like NC clusters in the absence of external chemotactic cues. Zooms highlight edge protrusions and cell–cell contact regions. (B and C) Quantification of normalized traction force at edge protrusions and cell-cell contact in NC clusters shown in mesenchymal and (C) epithelial-like. Data are from at least three independent experiments. Scale bars: 100 µm. Error bars show mean ± SEM. Statistical analysis was performed using an unpaired two-tailed Student’s t test. ****P ≤ 0.0001; ns, not significant.