Animal design

Question 1

Adaptations of bipedal (walking) animals

Answer 1

• Long, columnar hind legs
• Plantigrade posture (foot used as a lever to push the animal forward)
• Upright posture (spine) means COM is the centre of the base for stability
• Short forelimbs (freed for tool carrying)

Question 2

Adaptations of bipedal (jumping) animals

Answer 2

• Long lower limbs to create long distal levers (long lever = less force needed for movement)
• Plantigrade posture with longer digits to increase lever length
• Increased musculature in hindlimb for high power
• Long tendons to amplify power
• Short thoracic limbs

Question 3

Adaptations of bipedal (flying) animals

Answer 3

• Lower limbs are adapted for perching (rear facing digit to grasp branch)
• Talons/claws adapted for catch prey
• Thoracic limbs adapted as wings (depending on species: structure alters for hovering, gliding and flapping)

Question 4

Adaptations of quadrupedal (cursorial) animals

Answer 4

• Increased elastic storage in tendons while stretched (increases power amplification when released)
• Longer hind limbs for increased levers
• COM is directly over wide base for stability
• Forelimbs have less musculature as used for braking and controlling direction
• Muscles are pale (cheetahs) so anaerobic respiration for quick bursts of activity

Question 5

Adaptations of quadrupedal (herbivores) animals

Answer 5

• Reduced muscle mass in distal limb (reduces weight to reduce locomotion exertion = more economical - herbivores eat low quality food so need to be adapted for low energy locomotion)
• Increased tendon length in distal limb to amplify power whilst still reducing weight
• Long columnar limbs to increase stride length (unguligrade posture - more economical as reduces GFR)
• COM is directly over wide base for stability

Question 6

Adaptations of quadrupedal (carnivores) animals

Answer 6

• Musculature located proximally in the hind limbs but little muscle dismally (lightweight limbs so they can be swung quickly)
• Muscles tend to be a rich dark colour caused by myoglobin (large oxidative capacity, large capacity for aerobic respiration)
• Flexible spine with a visible curvature (spine fully extends to reach forward and backward which increases stride length so they can cover more ground)
• Long, large muscular tail and wide base directly under COM for stability
• Claws allow them to grip onto prey or ground, provides sufficient traction (manipulative ability - digitigrade posture)