Articles tagged with Animal Locomotion
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A newly described species of ichthyosaur, named Ichthyotitan severnensis, is believed to be the largest known marine reptile, with estimates suggesting it could have reached up to 82 feet in length. The discovery was made from fossilized jawbone fragments found in Somerset, UK.
A new reconstruction of the 375-million-year-old fossil fish Tiktaalik reveals that its ribs likely attached to its pelvis, enabling support of the body and potentially leading to the evolution of walking. This discovery provides insights into the major evolutionary transition from fish to four-limbed vertebrates.
A study published in Nature Communications found that the fastest animals are medium-sized, like cheetahs, due to a physical limit imposed by muscle contraction speed and shortening. This sweet spot size of around 50kg enables animals to reach speeds of up to 65 miles per hour
A new study refutes previous research suggesting Spinosaurus was an aquatic pursuit predator, highlighting methodological flaws and low accuracy of phylogenetic flexible discriminant analysis. The researchers provide guidelines for future studies to use with caution when applying this methodology to limited datasets.
Scientists at Caltech have developed a new type of robotic jellyfish that can swim faster and carry payloads, making them ideal for collecting oceanic climate data. The biohybrid creatures use electronics to enhance their swimming abilities and can reach speeds of up to 4.5 times those of natural jellyfish.
A study by Harvard researchers found that fish group behavior can reduce energy costs by up to 50%, with coordinated movement allowing for more efficient swimming. By measuring the energetic cost of individual and group movements, the team discovered a J-shaped relationship between speed and energy expenditure.
Scientists discovered a common trait among flying birds, including the number of primary feathers, to determine their evolutionary history. The finding provides clues about dinosaur flight and may inform debates on its origins.
Marine plankton sense external water pressure through the same cells that detect light, triggering them to swim upwards. The larvae respond to increased pressure by swimming faster and in a straighter trajectory.
A new study of a 7–8-million-year-old extinct fossil ape from China, Lufengpithecus, offers new insights into the evolution of human bipedalism. The researchers found that early apes shared a locomotor repertoire ancestral to human bipedalism, and their analysis suggests a three-step evolution of human bipedalism.
A recent study on the fossil ape Lufengpithecus offers insights into the origins of human bipedalism. By analyzing the inner ear region, researchers discovered a three-step evolution process that led to human walking, with early apes using tree-like locomotion and later developing a combination of climbing and terrestrial quadrupedalism.
Researchers examined thresher shark vertebrae and found unique anatomical modifications supporting extreme body bending during tail-whipping behavior. These findings suggest the vertebral column is fortified along its length, enabling the tail to launch over the head.
Research reveals that fish from the same species can evolve unique sense of smell and display individual foraging 'personalities' to successfully find food. The study highlights the importance of behavioral studies in understanding how sensory systems evolve and resulting fish behavior.
A newly described mosasaur, the Wakayama Soryu (blue dragon), had a distinctive shark-like dorsal fin and massive flippers that defied classification. The specimen, discovered in Japan, is the most complete mosasaur skeleton found in the country, with features that challenge current understanding of its swimming abilities.
A study found that migratory bats are sensitive to the angle of magnetic inclination and use it for navigation. The soprano pipistrelle bat species calibrated its internal compass at sunset, taking into account both the horizontal component and inclination of the Earth's magnetic field.
Researchers discovered ancient bird-like footprints in Southern Africa that date back over 210 million years, 60 million years before the earliest known bird fossil. The tracks were found at multiple sites and show a mix of dinosaur and bird-like characteristics.
Researchers from Tohoku University developed a model that simulates fish tail fin motion and reveals the underlying mechanisms behind synchronized swimming. The study found that synchronizing fin movements reduces energy dissipation, but the optimal timing may not always lead to conservation of energy.
Researchers develop a phase shift parameter to describe animal locomotion, combining forces of inertia, gravity, elasticity and viscosity into one dimensionless number. This new parameter predicts muscle activation patterns in a wide range of animals during locomotion.
Researchers at Colorado State University have developed three morphing robotic schemes that can change shape on demand, mimicking nature's adaptability. The robots can sense their surroundings, adjust their shape to grasp or navigate obstacles, and potentially aid humans in disaster areas.
Researchers used a new analytical approach to understand how the brain controls movement and eye stability in zebrafish. By analyzing neuronal activity, they identified two main features that correspond to specific types of movements, including eye rotation and body positioning.
Researchers have identified a conserved brain region in vertebrates essential for initiating forward movement. The mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) stimulates reticulospinal neurons to control finer details of movement. Mapping this circuit could lead to new treatments for Parkinson's disease.
Tubificine worms can form entangled blobs that behave as a single organism to adapt to extreme environments and migrate more efficiently. Researchers successfully simulated collective movements of worm blobs in confined terrain, facilitating design of future swarm robotic systems.
Sperm and northern bottlenose whales frequently feed on live halibut escaping from a deep-sea trawler net. The study found that these whales were only spotted when the catch was Greenland halibut, not redfish or thorny skate.
Researchers found that giant water striders break the water surface when their legs push downward during a jump. They then quickly move downward surrounded by air caught within and around long hairs on their legs, generating upward force due to drag.
The study combines real and robotic insects to understand how they sense forces in their limbs while walking. Campaniform sensilla (CS) are force receptors found in insect limbs that respond to stress and strain, providing critical information for controlling locomotion.
A new method scans moving horses to produce an enhanced saddle-map, highlighting ideal areas for saddle placement to reduce pain and injury. The research identifies the most mobile areas of a horse's back as the least suitable for distributing pressure.
Researchers at Brown University have developed a krill-inspired robot called Pleobot, which emulates the swimming method of krill to navigate complex marine environments. The platform has the potential to enable scientists to understand how to engineer better robots for ocean navigation and exploration.
A 225-million-year-old Brazilian fossil provides the oldest evidence of air sacs in dinosaurs, which enabled these creatures to grow into giants. The discovery sheds light on how these structures evolved over time, contradicting previous assumptions about their development.
The newly discovered Ambulator keanei is an ancient species of diprotodontid marsupial that roamed Australia's arid interior during the Pliocene era. It had unique plantigrade adaptations in its legs and feet, allowing it to efficiently traverse long distances in search of food and water.
Washington State University researchers developed a robotic bee that can fly fully in all directions, including twisting motion. The Bee++ prototype achieves six degrees of free movement and is controlled by an artificial brain that acts like an insect's brain.
Coral reef fish larvae undergo significant physiological changes as they transition from open ocean swimming to settling on the reef floor. The study found that gene activity changes play a crucial role in adapting to hypoxic environments at night, allowing the fish to survive and thrive.
Researchers developed a new theory of multilegged locomotion, creating robotic models that can move across uneven surfaces without sensors. The robot's leg redundancy enables it to transport itself and loads on challenging terrain, making it suitable for applications like agriculture, space exploration, and search and rescue.
Researchers found that environmental context influences drug dependence by associating psychostimulant effects with specific environments. The study observed behavioral sensitization and brain activation patterns in mice with cocaine dependence, mirroring human cravings for a specific environment or location.
Researchers have pinpointed a new neurological target, the mesencephalic locomotor region, to improve walking recovery in people with spinal cord injuries. Electrical stimulation of this area has shown promise in animal models, and a clinical trial is underway.
A new study published in Palaeontology sheds light on the swimming styles of Mesozoic marine reptiles, finding a gradual diversification of locomotory modes that peaked in the Cretaceous period. The research also explores the evolution of body size, with the widest spread occurring during this time.
A new study suggests that large animals are disadvantaged due to their limited traveling speeds, which can be attributed to their inability to effectively dissipate excess heat generated by their muscles. This limitation leads to slower travel speeds compared to medium-sized animals.
Researchers found that Luna moth tails are primarily used for bat evasion, but also make the insects conspicuous to birds and other predators. The study suggests that the tails' role in predation may have co-opted their function in attracting mates.
A team of researchers from South Africa has discovered exceptional trace fossils that provide insight into the locomotion of ancient giant amphibians. The fossils, found on a rock surface once part of a tidal flat or lagoon, suggest these animals propelled themselves through water with continuous side-to-side tail motions.
A team of paleontologists used the history of steam engines to test competitive exclusion theory, finding limited evidence supporting its role in extinction. The researchers analyzed data on tractive effort, revealing that newer engines generated more power, making steam locomotives less efficient and eventually obsolete.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have created soft robots that can transition from walking to swimming, crawling to rolling, or jumping. The robots use highly dynamic bistable soft actuators made of shape-memory alloy springs that react to electrical currents, allowing for varied locomotion and adaptability.
Researchers at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia have created a soft robot inspired by earthworms, able to crawl using soft actuators that elongate or squeeze. The prototype demonstrates improved locomotion with a speed of 1.35mm/s and has potential applications in underground exploration, excavation, search and rescue operations.
Researchers at Flinders University discovered a previously unknown whale behavior, which may have been described in ancient Norse manuscripts. The
Researchers found that nectar-feeding bats rely on extra-long whiskers to navigate flowers while feeding, providing enhanced spatial information. Clipping whiskers reduced agility but didn't impact feeding ability.
Researchers at the University of Arizona found that rock ants follow a methodical search strategy, combining systematized meandering with random movement to efficiently explore new areas. This unique behavior may provide insights into the evolution of exploration strategies in other species.
Researchers studied cavefish metabolism to understand how humans might adapt over long periods of inactivity, finding genetic changes that enable muscle endurance and efficient energy storage. The study suggests potential implications for understanding and mitigating the negative effects of sedentary lifestyles on human health.
Researchers discovered that baboons employ an efficient strategy to transition from quadrupedal to bipedal walking by 'crouching' their hindlimbs and 'sprinting' them forward under their torso. This process enables the animals to maintain a natural gait while standing upright, requiring minimal energy expenditure.
Scientists at Georgia Institute of Technology investigate how cats maintain balance while studying human spinal cord injury treatment.
Scientists discovered a new multiregional hindbrain circuit that enables zebrafish to compute their location and correct course. The study used whole-brain imaging to reveal the circuits involved in this process, which may apply to other vertebrates.
Researchers discovered a neural system for self-localization in larval zebrafish using whole-brain functional imaging. The multiregional hindbrain circuit integrates visual information to form a memory of past displacements, correcting for accumulated displacements over many seconds.
Researchers developed a computational model of flying snakes' undulation to understand lift production. The snake's cross-sectional shape creates pressure differential across its body, lifting it and allowing it to glide through the air.
Great gray owls have a broad disc-like face that acts as radar to find food, while their facial features help correct for sonic distortions caused by snow. The owls' ability to hover above prey allows them to pinpoint location and avoid acoustic mirages created by the snow.
Researchers found that Nanomia, a gelatinous marine animal, can control its jets individually to prioritize speed or energy efficiency. This discovery could inform the development of more robust underwater vehicles. The team analyzed Nanomia's swimming patterns using video recordings and computer models.
Researchers used simulations of zebrafish brain, environment, and spatially-varying swimming behavior to conclude that fish look down to understand their surroundings' motion. This adaptive behavior helps fish avoid being swept away by turbulent water.
Researchers at the University of Oxford discovered that goldfish can accurately estimate distances by processing visual cues. The study found that goldfish use 'optic flow' to estimate distance, unlike terrestrial animals which rely on changes in angle between their eye and surrounding objects.
A research team has identified a specific cell group in the brain that regulates shifts in the sleep-wake rhythm caused by psychostimulants. The hypothalamic dopamine locus is responsible for modulating circadian rhythms and gates the effect of psychostimulants, leading to increased alertness and activity.
Researchers suggest special blood vessels called 'retia mirabilia' reduce brain pressure pulses, preventing damage. Computer modeling supports theory, which could be applied to other animals and humans.
Research on white-necked jacobin hummingbirds found that about 20% of females retain male-like plumage into adulthood, engaging in deceptive mimicry to avoid aggression and increase access to food sources. These females' strength and body size are similar to those of males.
Researchers found that ants and robots can be modeled using the same algorithms, despite differences in slipping motions. The discovery provides a universal model for location that applies to various movements, including walking and slithering.
Researchers at the Florida Museum of Natural History found that frog forelimbs are not just for jumping, but also for fighting and grasping mates during reproduction. The fused radius and ulna bones provide strength and weight reduction, while also increasing stress on the tendon connecting to the bone.
Researchers have found a 30-million-year-old beaver fossil that challenges previous theories on the evolution of semi-aquatic beavers in North America. The discovery, published in Royal Society Open Science, suggests that these animals may have evolved to swim earlier than previously thought and were likely adapted for aquatic life.
A study by Florida Atlantic University researchers compared the walking and swimming behaviors of neonate and juvenile epaulette sharks. Contrary to expectations, results showed that differences in body shape did not alter kinematics between early life stages, suggesting a consistent locomotor performance.