Meeting Abstract 105.2  Wednesday, Jan. 7  Where’s the LEV? Aerodynamics of the hummingbird wing during hovering TOBALSKE, B.W.*; WARRICK, D.R.; University of Montana, Missoula bret.tobalske@mso.umt.edu Leading-edge vortices (LEVs) are considered essential features of wing aerodynamics during hovering in insects and have recently been reported to enhance lift production in a slow-flying bat (Glossophaga soricina). To test for […]

Meeting Abstract 105.3  Wednesday, Jan. 7  Wake patterns of the wings and tail of hovering hummingbirds ALTSHULER, Douglas L.*; PRINCEVAC, Marko; PAN, Hansheng; LOZANO, Jesse; University of California, Riverside; University of California, Riverside; University of California, Riverside; University of California, Riverside douga@ucr.edu The role of bird tails in generating forces, maintaining stability, and enhancing maneuverability has been […]

Meeting Abstract 105.4  Wednesday, Jan. 7  Hummingbird courtship displays reveal limits to avian flight performance CLARK, CJ; UC Berkeley cclark@berkeley.edu Courtship displays are a common feature of breeding behavior. While the information these displays convey between suitors and potential mate remains debated, the remarkable behaviors that result can be used to study the limits of locomotor performance. […]

Meeting Abstract 105.5  Wednesday, Jan. 7  Flight muscle function during takeoff, landing, and mid-flight, in the pigeon Columba livia BERG, Angela M*; BIEWENER, Andrew A; Harvard University aberg@oeb.harvard.edu In order to achieve different modes of flight, such as takeoff and landing, a bird must move its wings differently. Variation in wing motion requires corresponding variation in activation […]

Meeting Abstract 105.1  Wednesday, Jan. 7  Elevational variation in flight mechanics and energetics of the giant Andean hummingbird FERNANDEZ, Maria Jose*; DUDLEY, Robert ; Univ. of California, Berkeley; Univ. of California, Berkeley mjose@berkeley.edu Hummingbirds are unique in their ability to sustain hovering, one of the most energetically demanding forms of locomotion. The giant hummingbird (Patagona gigas) weighs […]

Meeting Abstract 104.4  Wednesday, Jan. 7  X-ray study of subsurface locomotion of a sand swimming lizard: the effect of material preparation MALADEN, R.D.*; GOLDMAN, D.I.; Georgia Institute of Technology; Georgia Institute of Technology rmaladen@gatech.edu Animals that move within desert sand contend with material that can display solid and fluid-like behavior and can exist in a range of […]

Meeting Abstract 104.2  Wednesday, Jan. 7  Visualizing internal structural movements during soft-bodied crawling using phase-contrast X-ray microvideography SIMON, M.A.*; SMITH, D.; TRIMMER, B.A.; Tufts University, Medford, MA; Tufts University, Medford, MA; Tufts University, Medford, MA michael.simon@tufts.edu In soft-bodied animals, the movements of internal tissues cannot be isolated from those of muscles involved in locomotion. Furthermore, internal tissue […]

Meeting Abstract 104.5  Wednesday, Jan. 7  Tail autotomy and escape performance in a stream side salamander HENNINGSEN, J*; HERMAN, R; IRSCHICK, D; University of Massachusetts Amherst; University of Massachusetts Amherst; University of Massachusetts Amherst justinh@bio.umass.edu Tail autotomy and the effects thereof have been extensively studied in squamates. However, this trait has evolved independently in a number of […]