Animal locomotion

Question 1

Usual walk

Answer 1

4 beat gait
LH, LF, RH, RF
One foot is always on the floor

Question 2

Trot

Answer 2

Two beat gait
LH + RF, flight, LF + RH
Diagonal pairs
extremely energy efficient, can be sustained for long periods of time

Question 3

Canter

Answer 3

Three beat gait
RH, RF + LH, LF, flight
One diagonal pair breaks

Question 4

Transverse gallop

Answer 4

Four beat gait
LH, RH, flight, LF, RF
Last diagonal pair splits

Question 5

What are the four gaits of a horse

Answer 5

Walk
Trot
Canter
Transverse gallop

Question 6

What is a suspended/unsupported phase

Answer 6

where all feet are in the air

Question 7

What can limbs do

Answer 7

support, propel, recover from a propulsive movement

Question 8

Protraction

Answer 8

movement of limb crainially

Question 9

Retraction

Answer 9

movement of limb caudally

Question 10

Flexion

Answer 10

Shortening the limb
flexor angle reduced

Question 11

Extension

Answer 11

lengthening the limb
Extensor angle reduced

Question 12

What do extensor muscles do in upper limbs

Answer 12

support, propel
tend to be larger

Question 13

What do cursorial specialisations increase

Answer 13

Efficiency
stride length
stride frequency

Question 14

what plane is limb movement restricted to and how

Answer 14

sagittal plane
collateral ligaments and muscles (epicondyle to epicondyle)

Question 15

How is efficiency of locomotion increased

Answer 15

limbs are erect rather than sprawling so directly transfers weight into spine when running
collateral ligaments and muscles (keeps to sagittal plane)

Question 16

How can stride length be increased

Answer 16

Lengthening of limbs
Part of feet on ground
mobile scapula
suspended phase

Question 17

Plantigrade position

Answer 17

walking with soles of your feet on the ground

Question 18

Digitigrade position

Answer 18

Walking on the digits (carnivores)

Question 19

Unguligrade position

Answer 19

Walking on hooves (ungulates)

Question 20

How is the scapula attached to the body

Answer 20

through muscles 9trunchobrachial junction)
protracting and retracting the shoulder

Question 21

Benefit of a mobile scapula

Answer 21

frees the limb from the joint
increases stride length

Question 22

Why does increasing stride frequency not benefit the animals locomotion

Answer 22

makes it more difficult
very inefficient to increase movements above natural resonant frequency

Question 23

What is the benefit of having less weight as you move distally down a limb

Answer 23

limbs can be levered and quicker
the limb can be swung quicker as there is less weight lower down to move

Question 24

cat locomotion

Answer 24

limb abduction (drawing limb away from medial plane)
Plantigrady (with tail support)
Digital abduction (spreading of the digits)
Supination (to climb and seize prey)