Articles tagged with Animal Locomotion
Researchers develop polymer tape to simulate insect adhesive pads, revealing optimal leg attachment forces on smooth ceilings. The findings inspire wall and ceiling walking machines with micropatterned polymer feet.
Research reveals that fish larvae can't maintain a horizontal body position while coasting, leading to increased drag and poor swimming abilities. This conclusion refutes previous theories on poor hatchling swimming, providing new insights into pectoral fin development and swimbladder formation.
A recent restudy and reconstruction of a Mongolian sauropod skull adds to evidence for sauropod diversity at the end of the dinosaur era. The discovery highlights the existence of titanosaurs, a late surviving sauropod lineage that flourished during this period.
Dietmar Kueltz's team discovered genetic switches that enable certain fish to thrive in both freshwater and saltwater environments. These switches, involving transcription factors, allow the fish to resist stress and potentially survive other environmental challenges like climate change.
Researchers at Tufts University are developing a flexible robot that can navigate through the human body and complex structures, inspired by the unique movement of caterpillars. The team is studying the nervous system control of caterpillar locomotion to replicate this movement and build soft-bodied robots.
Researchers found that Asian elephants can move at speeds of up to 15 mph, with some individuals reaching 50% faster than previously recorded speeds. This gait, dubbed "Groucho running", meets the biomechanical definition of running, where the center of mass appears to bounce and the footfall pattern is different from walking.
Scientists discovered that early mammals used epipubic bones to stiffen their bodies during trotting steps, allowing for increased mobility and locomotor efficiency. This finding suggests that the development of these bones contributed significantly to the evolution of mammals.
Researchers found that waddling actually helps penguins save energy by using their leg muscles more efficiently. They also discovered that penguins are not inefficient walkers because of their gait, but rather due to the short length of their legs.
The discovery of a 170-million-year-old dinosaur tracksite in the Gypsum Spring Formation sheds light on the geographic distribution of dinosaurs during the Middle Jurassic period. The site preserves evidence that some dinosaurs may have been swimmers, with estimated speeds of up to 9.2 kilometers per hour.
The UC San Diego team, led by captain Scott Ketcham, aims to shatter the Human Powered Vehicle Association's non-propeller world speed record. The SubSonic submarine features a dolphin-inspired design with vectored thrust and dynamic ballast tanks for propulsion.