Abstract
Animals do not locomote in manners that minimize the mechanical work requirements. Nor do they move in ways that allow most economical use of muscle. Animals must balance these two demands, with appropriate compromises scaling with size and speed. This project will combine field (GPS/IMU) and lab-based (force, treadmill) studies of locomotion kinetics, and direct measurement of ex vivo / in vitro muscle properties, to examine the consequences of scale for locomotion and form in walking and running birds from quail to ostrich.
References
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