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 […]

BOWKER, G.B.: The role of electrostatic forces in wind pollination Electrostatic forces are found throughout the terrestrial environment. Even when the weather is clear, a 100 Volt per meter (V/m) electric field is present between the atmosphere and ground. Consequently, organisms in electrical contact with the ground have negative charge induced on their surfaces. The […]

THOMPSON, J.T.: The evolution of mechanical function in the mantle of squids The mechanical support for the mantle of cephalopod molluscs arises from a complex arrangement of muscle fibers, networks of connective tissue fibers, and in some cases, a rigid rod that runs the length of the mantle. Although there are over 700 species of […]

WATANABE, JEFFREY T.*; YOUNG, CRAIG M.: Expanding the niche by extending the proboscis: Feeding habits of southern oyster drills, Stramonita haemastoma (Gastropoda: Muricidae), on sabellariid worm reefs Survival of predators depends in part on the abundance and availability of suitable prey. Finding habitats where specific prey occur is especially important for organisms with planktonic larvae […]

PRATT, M.C.: Evolution of colony morphology in bryozoans: Do encrusting sheets have an advantage? Colonial animals show a wide diversity of growth forms that can be categorized into six basic growth forms: runners, vines, sheets, mounds, trees, and plates. Each of these growth forms is represented in the phylum Bryozoa; however, the encrusting sheet growth […]