RAICHLEN, D.A.; University of Texas at Austin: The effects of distally distributed limb mass on quadrupedal locomotion The effects of limb mass distribution on the energetic costs of quadrupedalism are currently unclear. Although several researchers have predicted that animals with distally distributed limb mass should have higher energetic costs, Taylor et al. (1974) found that […]

BIKNEVICIUS, A.R.*; MULLINEAUX, D.R.; CLAYTON, H.M.; Ohio Univ.; Michigan State Univ.; Michigan State Univ.: Taking the walk for a run: Locomotor mechanics of lateral sequence singlefoot gaits. The locomotor mechanics of lateral sequence singlefoot gaits were investigated. Icelandic horses using a walk and a t�lt, often described as a “running walk”, were ridden to record […]

PACE, C.M.; Northern Arizona University: Pectoral fin use on land and water in the mudskipper Periopthalmus argentileatus. Amphibious fish are superb organisms for studying biomechanical contrasts between aquatic and terrestrial locomotion. Perhaps the most well studied amphibious fish is the mudskipper, as it exhibits the extreme end of the amphibious continuum, with some species actually […]

AZIZI, E.; HORTON, J.M.; University of Massachusetts, Amherst: Patterns of appendicular and axial movements during aquatic walking in the salamander, Siren lacertina. Most studies of salamander locomotion have focused either on swimming or terrestrial walking. These studies have shown that during swimming many salamanders tuck their limbs against the body and generate a traveling axial […]

CHANG, Y.-H.; SCHOLZ, J.P.; NICHOLS, T.R.; Emory University & Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta; University of Delaware, Newark; Emory University, Atlanta: Hindlimb Control during Cat Locomotion after Loss of Stretch Reflexes. Locomotion in legged vertebrates involves the coordinated movement of the limbs. In addition to voluntary actions, involuntary actions produced by muscle stretch reflexes also […]

FULL, R.J.*; SEIPEL, J.; HOLMES, P; Univ. of California, Berkeley; Princeton University; Princeton University: Dynamic Stability Model Predicts Constraints In Sprawled Posture Running A simple, passive dynamic model of sprawled posture animals represented by a single, lateral leg spring has shown remarkable dynamic stability using mechanical feedback (Schmitt et al. 2002). We replaced the single […]

DEMES, Brigitte; FRANZ, Theresa M.; CARLSON, Kristian J.; Stony Brook University; Stony Brook University; Stony Brook University: Differential force distribution on the fore- and hind limbs of strepsirrhine primates Primates usually carry more weight with their hind limbs than forelimbs, whereas the opposite tends to be true for nonprimate mammals. This has been interpreted as […]

RISKIN, D.K.*; HERMANSON, J.H.; BERTRAM, J.E.A.; Cornell Univ.; Cornell Univ.; Florida State Univ.: The role of the hindlimbs in non-aerial locomotion of bats While a few bat species like the common vampire (Desmodus rotundus) crawl and jump in a coordinated fashion, bats like Pteronotus parnellii and Carollia perspicillata crawl very poorly, and others like Macrotus […]

LAMMERS, A R; EARLS, K D; BIKNEVICIUS, A R; Ohio University: The effects of substrate diameter on locomotor biodynamics in gray short-tailed opossums (Monodelphis domestica) The effects of substrate diameter (contour) on locomotor biodynamics were studied in the gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica). Two horizontal substrates were used: a flat trackway with a force platform […]

ZANI, P.A.*; GOTTSCHALL, J.S.; LAFAVE, A.A.; KRAM, R.; Univ. of Colorado; Univ. of Colorado; Univ. of Colorado; Univ. of Colorado: The Biomechanics of Giant-Tortoise Locomotion: Walking Without an Inverted Pendulum Tortoises are derived terrestrial forms of turtles, some of which have evolved into gigantic forms that walk extremely slowly. To date, all walking vertebrates studied […]