BUNDLE, M. W.; DIAL, K. P.: The metabolic power requirements of birds in flight Measurements of the metabolic power required for birds to fly across their range of speeds, have produced power curves which can be broadly assigned to two categories: curves that are independent of speed and those that are roughly U-shaped. Tucker’s classic […]

MARSH, R.L.*; ELLERBY, D.J.; BUCHANAN, C.I.: Mechanical function of thigh muscles in running Guinea fowl. When animals run on the level they perform no net work. This observation has led to the hypothesis that most muscles active during running simply produce force to support the body and prevent collapse of the limb during the stance […]

DALEY, M.A.; BIEWENER, A.A.: In vivo analysis of work performed by two ankle extensors of the guinea fowl during locomotion: How do similar agonist muscles fulfill different mechanical roles? How well do we understand the relationship between the architecture of a muscle-tendon system and its dynamic function during locomotion? What allows a muscle-tendon unit to […]

ALTSHULER, Douglas L.: Burst flight performance and competitive ability of hummingbirds along elevational gradients. Flight at high elevation presents two challenges: reduced air density demands high mechanical power output whereas reduced oxygen partial pressure can constrain metabolic input. Despite these challenges, the highest species diversity of hummingbirds occurs along the slopes of the Andes. I […]

NOCA, F.: Added mass in swimming and flying We will show, through a rigorous formalism, that the fluid dynamic force acting on a bluff body performing unsteady motions can actually be decomposed into a force due to apparent mass (as evaluated from potential theory) and a “wake” force resulting from surface friction and the near-wake […]

WESTNEAT, M.W.; BETZ, O.; BLOB, R.; FEZZAA, K.; COOPER, J.; LEE, W.K.: A new view of insect biomechanics: Using synchrotron phase-enhanced x-ray imaging to study insect respiration, locomotion, and feeding Biomechanical studies of living animals are often limited by the inability to see inside the animal during a behavior of interest. X-ray cine allows visualization […]

DAVIDOWITZ, G*; D’AMICO, L.J.; ROFF, D.A.; NIJHOUT, H.F.; University of Arizona; Duke University; Univ. of California, Riverside; Duke University: The physiological regulation of insect body size Remarkably little is known about the developmental and physiological mechanisms that determine body size, or about the mechanisms by which an organism translates different environmental signals that result in […]

GALIS, F.; STEIGENGA, M.; RUINARD, S.; Leiden University, The Netherlands: THE CONSTANCY OF CERVICAL VERTEBRAL NUMBER IN MAMMALS: EVIDENCE FOR STRONG STABILIZING INTERNAL SELECTION Mammals have a remarkably constant number of 7 cervical vertebrae, unlike the number of vertebrae of other regions which have a variable number. We proposed a hypothesis some years ago that […]

MARCUS, JM*; MONTEIRO, A; SUNY at Buffalo: Progress in the development and evolution of lepidopteran color patterns Butterfly wing color patterns are among the most attractive model systems for exploring the relationship between development and evolution because they are highly variable, consist of clearly defined subunits, are structurally simple and at least some patterns are […]

MADERSON, PAUL F.A.; Brooklyn College of CUNY: Old theories die hard – but cells move only one way in growing feathers Feather development and replacement are complex phenomena. Classical histological studies showed that apical tissues were first-formed and interpreted growth to involve proximo-distal movement of cells away from basal germinal locations. The Chicago School’s “Concrescence […]