HUBER, SS; HOYT, DF; DUTTO, DJ; WICKLER, SJ; California State Polytechnic University, Pomona: Jumping mechanics of the quadruped: the equine forelimb Six horses jumped obstacles of different heights (0.6 and 1.0 m) to test the following hypotheses: 1) additional work would be required to jump higher, and 2) the elbow would produce the most work […]

PICKERING, Trevor A.; ADOLPH, Stephen C. ; Harvey Mudd College ; Harvey Mudd College : Intra-individual variation and the estimation of maximal sprint performance Researchers often quantify sprint speed of animals in the laboratory as a measure of whole-animal performance. Maximum speed of each individual is usually estimated by taking the fastest of a small […]

RISKIN, D.K.*; HERMANSON, J.W.; Cornell University; Cornell University: Independent evolution of quadrupedal locomotion: �Front-wheel drive� in the bounding gait of vampire bats Most of the >1,000 species of bats are poor walkers, with the exception of a few disparate taxa that crawl well, such as the vampire bats. The fossil record does not indicate whether […]

KORFF, Wyatt L.; GOLDMAN, Daniel I.; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Berkeley: Escape at the solid/fluid interface: Impulsive accelerations of lizards on sand. When an animal accelerates from rest it exerts a force against the physical world; animals that live in fluids like air or water push against a medium that can move […]

FERRIS, A.E.*; HOYT, D.F.; DUTTO, D.J.; COGGER, E.A.; WICKLER, S.J.; Calif. St. Polytechinc Univ., Pomona: Dynamics of the equine forelimb during landing from a jump: A pilot study A successful jump requires not only clearing an obstacle, but also landing safely. The first limb to strike after clearing a 1.3 m obstacle produces a large […]

REILLY, Stephen M.; WHITE, Thonmas D.; Ohio University, Athens; Buffalo State College, Buffalo: Active exhalation, loco-ventilatory integration and size constraints on locomotor scope in mammals We demonstrate for the first time the active role of the abdominal muscles in ventilation and the speed dynamics of locomotor-ventilatory integration in small mammals, which reveals a critical size […]

PAPASTAMATIOU, Yannis P.*; LOWE, Christopher G.; HOLLAND, Kim N.; University of Hawaii at Manoa; California State University Long Beach; University of Hawaii at Manoa: Variations in the response of gastric acid secretion during periods of fasting between shark species Elasmobranchs are the earliest known vertebrates to have developed an acid secreting stomach and also exhibit […]

MCELROY, EJ*; REILLY, SM; Ohio University; Ohio University: The evolutionary relationship between foraging mode and locomotor functional morphology in lizards Foraging mode has impacted many aspects of lizard biology. Locomotion is centrally important to foraging and therefore the morphology and function of the locomotor system should be a strong correlate of foraging mode phenotype. Here […]

MAHLER, L.*; KEARNEY, M.; Washington Univ., St. Louis; Field Museum of Natural History; Field Museum of Natural History: The Palatal Dentition in Squamate Reptiles: Morphology, Development, Attachment, and Replacement The palatal dentition in squamate reptiles is poorly known compared to the marginal dentition. We surveyed species of all squamate families for the presence of palatal […]

COLLAR, D.C.*; University of California, Davis: Testing the bass fisherman�s hypothesis: Does reaching an adaptive peak limit diversification of the feeding apparatus in Micropterus (Teleostei: Centrarchidae)? The potential for a lineage to diversify morphologically might be limited if it sits atop an adaptive peak. If the common ancestor of a lineage possesses structures and performance […]