Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Baxi Chong, Tianyu Wang, Eva Erickson, Philip J. Bergmann, Daniel Goldman
Summary: This study investigates body-limb coordination in lizards using biological experiments, a geometric theory of locomotion, and robophysical models. The findings suggest that body-wave dynamics in lizards can be described by a combination of standing and traveling waves, and the ratio of these components is inversely related to limb reduction and body elongation. The study also reveals that soil-dwelling lizards propel via terrestrial swimming, similar to sand-swimming lizards and snakes. The research provides insights into the functional constraints of elongation and limb reduction and can contribute to advancements in robot designs.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biology
Keegan Lutek, Kathleen L. Foster, Emily M. Standen
Summary: This study investigates the gradual changes in swimming and walking behavior in the African lungfish and finds that walking is based on swimming-like muscle activity and kinematic differences are due to mechanical constraints. The coordination of pectoral fin movements also gradually changes with water depth, but the neuromuscular patterning remains similar.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Chase T. Kinsey, Olivia McNelly, William C. Bridges, Richard W. Blob
Summary: As frogs undergo metamorphosis, their locomotor performance and survival may be affected. The presence of both tail and limbs might interfere with each other, resulting in better performance when only one system predominates. However, it is unclear if this pattern applies to frogs with different patterns of ontogenetic environmental transitions.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kevin T. Du Clos, Brad J. Gemmell, Sean P. Collin, John H. Costello, John O. Dabiri, Kelly R. Sutherland
Summary: Many fishes and physonect siphonophores employ distinct swimming modes for routine swimming and predator escape. In this study, the researchers compared the performances of asynchronous and synchronous swimming in the physonect siphonophore Nanomia bijuga. They found that synchronous swimming produced higher speeds and accelerations at the expense of higher costs of transport, while asynchronous swimming had lower energy consumption.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Sumire D. Sato, Julia T. Choi
Summary: Healthy aging is associated with reduced corticospinal drive to leg muscles during walking, with younger adults demonstrating higher coherence in both the beta-gamma and alpha band frequencies. Slow leg TA-TA coherence in the beta-gamma band was the strongest predictor of early adaptation in double support time, while early adaptation in step length symmetry was predicted by age group alone.
FRONTIERS IN AGING NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Javad Sarvestan, Peyman Aghaie Ataabadi, Fateme Yazdanbakhsh, Shahram Abbasi, Ali Abbasi, Zdenek Svoboda
Summary: Uphill walking results in adjustments in ankle, knee, and hip joint angles to provide a stable base of support, but may also lead to reduced ankle movement variability and potential injuries during long-term uphill walking.
Article
Biology
Sandy M. Kawano, Richard W. Blob
Summary: This study quantifies the locomotor biomechanics of semi-aquatic salamanders and a semi-aquatic fish and compares them with those of a terrestrial salamander, evaluating the comparability of terrestrial locomotion between species with ecological and phylogenetic similarities. The study finds distinct patterns of force production in the pectoral appendages of different species, but comparable force production patterns in the hindlimbs. The study also suggests that semi-aquatic taxa have a greater inclination of ground reaction forces compared to terrestrial salamanders, potentially increasing bone stresses and limiting their excursions onto land.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wei Guo, Qian Liu, Peng Huang, Dan Wang, Lin Shi, Dong Han
Summary: This study examines the impact of trunk kinematic characteristics and trunk muscle electromyography activity on propulsion speeds in wheelchair racing T54 athletes. The results show significant correlations between trunk motion range and angular velocity with propulsion speed. It is recommended for T54 athletes to incorporate trunk strength training into their overall regimen to enhance their wheelchair propulsion speed.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jasmine A. Nirody, Lisset A. Duran, Deborah Johnston, Daniel J. Cohen
Summary: The study found that tardigrades exhibit key features of walking similar to insects and show flexibility in interleg coordination under different environmental conditions. This suggests functional similarities in walking coordination between tardigrades and arthropods, possibly due to a common locomotor control circuit or independent convergence onto an optimal control strategy.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biology
Michelle Graham, John J. Socha
Summary: In arboreal habitats, dynamic movements play a crucial role in gap-crossing behaviors of arboreal animals. Research has shown that flying snakes are able to use jumping behaviors to cross larger distances, instead of employing the cantilever crawl used by most snakes. This dynamic jumping behavior allows flying snakes to access greater resources in the arboreal environment.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Orthopedics
Helene Nikolajsen, Birgit Juul-Kristensen, Peter Fjeldstad Hendriksen, Bente Rona Jensen
Summary: No significant differences were found in muscle activation level, co-contraction index, and co-contraction index ratios between children with and without Generalized Joint Hypermobility (GJH) during treadmill walking. However, participants with GJH exhibited a significantly decreased knee joint angle compared to controls. Future studies should investigate the clinical implications of this increased knee flexion during gait.
BMC MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Marianne E. Porter, Andrea Hernandez, Connor R. Gervais, Jodie L. Rummer
Summary: The epaulette shark is adapted to climate change-relevant conditions such as elevated CO2 and hypoxia, but embryos reared under ocean warming conditions hatch earlier and smaller. However, locomotor kinematics remain consistent between neonate and juvenile epaulette sharks, suggesting their ability to move within and away from challenging conditions in their habitats.
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Valentina Di Santo, Elsa Goerig, Dylan K. Wainwright, Otar Akanyeti, James C. Liao, Theodore Castro-Santos, George Lauder
Summary: Most BCF swimming fishes share similar oscillation amplitude during steady locomotion; tuna and eel differ in the length of the propulsive body wave; there is no decrease in head:tail amplitude from anguilliform to thunniform locomotion as traditionally expected.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biology
Luke N. Jessup, Luke A. Kelly, Andrew G. Cresswell, Glen A. Lichtwark
Summary: Many models have been developed to predict metabolic energy expenditure based on biomechanical proxies of muscle function. However, these models have not been rigorously tested across various locomotion tasks and have not adequately characterized different forms of locomotion. In this study, frequency and height constraints were imposed on hopping, and the effects on metabolic power and muscle function were evaluated. The results showed that a decrease in hop frequency and an increase in hop height led to an increase in metabolic power, which could be explained by changes in muscle activation and work requirements.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Amy Y. Cheu, Samantha A. Reed, Sara D. Mann, Philip J. Bergmann
Summary: Many animals transition between different media while navigating their environments, and this study found that brown anole lizards exhibit performance and kinematic differences between running on land and water. The findings suggest that animals can adapt to novel environments by modulating their kinematics.
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Michael C. Granatosky, Eric J. McElroy, Pierre Lemelin, Stephen M. Reilly, John A. Nyakatura, Emanuel Andrada, Brandon M. Kilbourne, Vivian R. Allen, Michael T. Butcher, Richard W. Blob, Callum F. Ross
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Biology
Christopher J. Mayerl, John G. Capano, Adam A. Moreno, Jeanette Wyneken, Richard W. Blob, Elizabeth L. Brainerd
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Richard W. Blob, Travis Baumann, Kelly M. Diamond, Vanessa K. H. Young, Heiko L. Schoenfuss
JOURNAL OF ANATOMY
(2020)
Article
Biology
Amanda M. Palecek, Heiko L. Schoenfuss, Richard W. Blob
Summary: The study found that the passive adhesive performance of climbing gobies is influenced by species and substrate, with the strongest climbers exhibiting the highest shear pull-off forces on rough surfaces. Therefore, differences in adhesive performance may help explain the ability of species to migrate upstream and invade new habitats.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Grace K. Forker, Heiko L. Schoenfuss, Richard W. Blob, Kelly M. Diamond
Summary: Evolution of locomotor modes in goby fish is associated with morphological adaptations to meet the demands of various environments, such as marine and freshwater habitats. Climbing gobies have unique vertebral column structures that aid in vertical thrust production, with flexibility in the posterior portion of the body and larger intervertebral spaces in species that exhibit distinctive climbing behaviors.
JOURNAL OF ANATOMY
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Vanessa K. Hilliard Young, Mary Kate Starner, J. Antonio Baeza, Richard W. Blob
Summary: The morphology of limb bones in turtles is closely related to their functional demands in different environments. Specialized lineages show specific adaptations in their limb bone shapes depending on their habitats, such as flattened humeri in sea turtles for lift-based swimming and robust humeri and femora in terrestrial tortoises for resisting high torsional loads during walking and digging. However, the allometric patterns of ecomorphological divergence among closely related lineages within clades with diverse ecological habits remain unknown.
JOURNAL OF HERPETOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Kelly M. Diamond, Raphael Lagarde, J. Gill Griner, Dominique Ponton, Kara E. Powder, Heiko L. Schoenfuss, Jeffrey A. Walker, Richard W. Blob
Summary: The study found that the relationship between body shape and escape performance is influenced by multiple selection pressures. The climbing and fast-start performance of gobiid fishes are not significantly different in response to predator attacks.
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Amanda M. Palecek, Megan Novak, Richard W. Blob
Summary: The study found that wading birds adjust their step height and limb joint flexion to accommodate different water depths and speeds. By measuring drag and limb movements, it revealed the impact of varying water depths on their locomotor strategies.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Masaya Iijima, V. David Munteanu, Ruth M. Elsey, Richard W. Blob
Summary: As animals increase in size, they tend to use more upright limb posture which results in relatively smaller joint moments at the shoulder and hip. The center of mass shifts nonlinearly from juveniles to subadults, with smaller alligators having a more anteriorly positioned CoM.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Takashi Maie, Richard W. Blob
Summary: Despite differences in adhesive performance between two species with different climbing styles, some features of sucker function remain similar, including how performance changes through development.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kelly M. Diamond, Christopher J. Good, Nina Johnny, Troy S. Sakihara, Paul L. Edmiston, Jennifer A. Faust, Tonya C. Schoenfuss, Alexander M. Rubin, Richard W. Blob, Heiko L. Schoenfuss
Summary: Freshwater streams on oceanic islands are important for ecological and economic functions, but are often overlooked in assessments of pollution. This study found that Hawaiian streams are contaminated with various pollutants, comparable to continental streams, and have subtle effects on native fish species' locomotor performance. These results highlight the importance of including endemic species and ecologically relevant assays when assessing the effects of contaminants in island habitats.
Article
Zoology
Zachary M. G. Quigley, Richard W. Blob, Sandy M. Kawano
Summary: Terrestrial and aquatic environments present different challenges for animals, but amphibious behaviors have evolved multiple times in vertebrates. This study used mudskippers as a model to understand the locomotion of early tetrapods on land and found that their pectoral fin kinematics were similar to those of early tetrapods, providing new insights into the biomechanics of using fins versus limbs for terrestrial movement.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART A-ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Christopher J. Mayerl, Alison M. Sansone, Lucy M. Stevens, Garret J. Hall, Michael M. Porter, Gabriel Rivera, Richard W. Blob
BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS
(2019)
Article
Biology
C. J. Mayer, J. P. Youngblood, G. Rivera, J. T. Vance, R. W. Blob
INTEGRATIVE ORGANISMAL BIOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Biology
R. W. Blob, R. Lagarde, K. M. Diamond, R. M. Keeffe, R. S. Bertram, D. Ponton, H. L. Schoenfuss
INTEGRATIVE ORGANISMAL BIOLOGY
(2019)