DUDEK, D.M.*; FULL, R.J.: Spring-like behavior of the legs of running insects The dynamics of many terrestrial organisms during running are similar to those of a bouncing spring-mass system. This observation has led to the search for spring-like behavior in the tendons of mammals. The dynamics of running cockroaches have been modeled as a spring-mass […]

Meijer, K*; Libby, T.M.; Full, R.J.: Passive stability provided by the musculo-skeletal properties of an insect leg. Cockroaches have an amazing ability to run over rough terrain. It has been hypothesized that their ability to perform stable locomotion in unstructured environments is facilitated by the mechanical properties of their muscles and exoskeleton. To investigate the […]

COX, D.E.*; BERTRAM, J.E.A.: Hypothesis testing as a lab exercise: a simple walking study This paper describes a laboratory exercise designed to provide students with experience testing a hypothesis by systematically isolating and controlling determinant variables. The study involves the analysis of walking and is performed by the students on a subject from within their […]

Carello, C. A.*; Scheunemann, T. L.; Heitmann, D. M.: How body size affects the metabolic efficiency and lower limb joint kinematics of quail running on an incline The majority of studies dealing with bipedal locomotion on varying surface grades have focused on humans. Thus, little is known about the relationship between body mass and efficiency […]

HOYT, D.F.*; WICKLER, S.J.; COGGER, E.A.; GOEHRING, M.E: A Reexamination Of The Trot-Gallop Transition: Insights From The Study Of Locomotion On An Incline. Previous workers concluded that forces trigger the trot-gallop (T-G) transition because it occurred at a lower speed when ponies carried a load and, at the T-G speed, the metabolic rate was higher […]

EIDIETIS, L.*; WEBB, P.W.; FORRESTER, T.L.: The abilities of two morphologically different fishes to counteract rolling disturbances We increased rolling moments and decreased negative metacentric heights of spiny rayed Lepomis macrochirus (bluegill) and soft rayed Semotilus atromaculotus (creek chub) by attaching weights and floats which, together, were neutrally buoyant. Weight and buoyant force were normalized […]

ELLERBY, D.J.*; SPIERTS, I.S.Y.; ALTRINGHAM, J.D.: Slow muscle power output of yellow- and silver-phase European eels (Anguilla anguilla, L.): changes in muscle performance prior to migration The European eel (Anguilla anguilla, L.) has a complex life cycle involving a lengthy spawning migration. The differences in the locomotory demands on different life history stages are considerable. […]

Courtland, H.W-.*; Wright, G. M.; DeMont, M. E.: Physical Properties of Noncollagenous Lamprey Cartilages Morphological and biochemical studies have demonstrated that lamprey cartilages are different from other vertebrate cartilages in that their major structural components lack collagen and elastin. Notable biochemical and morphological variations even suggest that a family of noncollagenous matrix proteins comprises the […]

Moon, B.R.*; Urquhart, M.R.; Conley, K.E.: In vivo shortening in the superfast tailshaker muscle of rattlesnakes Sound-producing muscles typically contract at high frequencies with minimal shortening. The tailshaker muscle of western diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox) contracts at frequencies of 20-100 Hz and has a constant energetic cost per twitch, but its extent of shortening is […]

FRANCIS, JR., A.W.*; TURINGAN, R.G.: Functional implications of asymmetrical feeding biomechanics in pleuronectiform fishes Flatfishes (Order Pleuronectiformes) differ from the generalized teleost morphology in that bilaterally symmetrical larvae metamorphose into bilaterally asymmetrical juveniles where one eye migrates to the opposite side of the head. The development of morphological asymmetry is expected to have profound consequences […]