SULLIVAN, C; Harvard University: Three-dimensional hindlimb kinematics of Alligator mississippiensis In contrast to birds and large, cursorial mammals, living amphibians and reptiles do not restrict their limbs to movement in a parasagittal plane during normal walking. The three-dimensional nature of limb mechanics in amphibians and reptiles implies that movement at a given joint cannot be […]

DEMES, Brigitte; CARLSON, Kristian J.; FRANZ, Theresa M.; Stony Brook University; Stony Brook University; Stony Brook University: The dynamics of lemur turns Maneuverability is an important, yet understudied, aspect of locomotion in arboreally adapted animals, as substrate properties require frequent turns. This is a first attempt to quantify the forces involved in turning. Substrate reaction […]

LAMMERS, A.R.; Cleveland State Univ., Ohio: The biodynamics of quadrupedal locomotion on sloped arboreal substrates Most small mammals regularly encounter heterogeneous terrain, including slopes, rocky debris, and vegetation. Thus they should be capable of moving on a variety of substrates. In this study, I examined gait and locomotor kinetics in gray short-tailed opossums (Monodelphis domestica) […]

SPONBERG, S.N.; CHANG, C.; FULL, R.J.; Univ. of California, Berkeley; Univ. of California, Berkeley; Univ. of California, Berkeley: Sensory Independent, Feedforward Control of Locomotion in Cockroaches Running over Rough Surfaces Kinematic analysis provides no evidence for feedback control when cockroaches run over rough terrain. A tripod gait is maintained and animals do not use a […]

MARSH, R.L.*; RUBENSON, J.; HENRY, H.T.; DIMOULAS, P.M.; Northeastern University, Boston, MA: Muscle energetics measured by blood flow in guinea fowl during uphill running Running uphill requires more energy than running at the same speed on the level. We used measurements of muscle blood flow with microspheres to partition the energy cost of uphill running […]

CARLSON, K.J.*; DEMES, B.; FRANZ, T.M.; Stony Brook University; Stony Brook University; Stony Brook University: Mediolateral forces associated with quadrupedal gaits of lemurids Mediolateral (ML) peak forces and impulses during locomotion often are described as trivial or erratic. To evaluate these assertions, we quantified substrate reaction forces (SRFs) of forelimb (FL) and hind limb (HL) […]

JINDRICH, Devin L.; BESIER, Thor F.; LLOYD, David G.; Univ. of California, Los Angeles; Stanford University; University of Western Australia: Mechanical constraints on the control of human running turns To execute movement, neural control systems must work within mechanical constraints imposed by the motor task. Specific force, work and power requirements have been identified for […]

HANCOCK, J.A.*; BIKNEVICIUS, A.R.; STEVENS, N.J.; Ohio University, Athens; Ohio University, Athens; Ohio University, Athens: Head movements and terrestrial locomotion in tinamous (Eudromia elegans) Since the first photographic analysis of the fore-aft movement of the head in birds by Dunlap and Mowrer (1930), it has been known that the movement consists of a thrust phase […]

GOLDMAN, D.I.*; FULL, R.J.; University of California, Berkeley: Dynamics of Rapid Vertical Climbing in Hexapods A general model for rapid, dynamic legged climbing is emerging. Despite differences in morphology, the single leg ground reaction force patterns of climbing cockroaches were remarkably similar to that discovered in geckos. We measured these forces in the cockroach Blaberus […]

COWAN, N.; LEE, J.; FULL, R.J.; Johns Hopkins Univ.; Univ. of California, Berkeley: Dynamical control of antennal wall following in the American cockroach During rapid locomotion, the antenna of a cockroach, Periplaneta americana , transduces contact and strain stimuli to neural impulses. These impulses are used for locomotion control, enabling the cockroach to execute rapid […]