Animal locomotion Flashcards
Usual walk
4 beat gait
LH, LF, RH, RF
One foot is always on the floor
Trot
Two beat gait
LH + RF, flight, LF + RH
Diagonal pairs
extremely energy efficient, can be sustained for long periods of time
Canter
Three beat gait
RH, RF + LH, LF, flight
One diagonal pair breaks
Transverse gallop
Four beat gait
LH, RH, flight, LF, RF
Last diagonal pair splits
What are the four gaits of a horse
Walk
Trot
Canter
Transverse gallop
What is a suspended/unsupported phase
where all feet are in the air
What can limbs do
support, propel, recover from a propulsive movement
Protraction
movement of limb crainially
Retraction
movement of limb caudally
Flexion
Shortening the limb
flexor angle reduced
Extension
lengthening the limb
Extensor angle reduced
What do extensor muscles do in upper limbs
support, propel
tend to be larger
What do cursorial specialisations increase
Efficiency
stride length
stride frequency
what plane is limb movement restricted to and how
sagittal plane
collateral ligaments and muscles (epicondyle to epicondyle)
How is efficiency of locomotion increased
limbs are erect rather than sprawling so directly transfers weight into spine when running
collateral ligaments and muscles (keeps to sagittal plane)
How can stride length be increased
Lengthening of limbs
Part of feet on ground
mobile scapula
suspended phase
Plantigrade position
walking with soles of your feet on the ground
Digitigrade position
Walking on the digits (carnivores)
Unguligrade position
Walking on hooves (ungulates)
How is the scapula attached to the body
through muscles 9trunchobrachial junction)
protracting and retracting the shoulder
Benefit of a mobile scapula
frees the limb from the joint
increases stride length
Why does increasing stride frequency not benefit the animals locomotion
makes it more difficult
very inefficient to increase movements above natural resonant frequency
What is the benefit of having less weight as you move distally down a limb
limbs can be levered and quicker
the limb can be swung quicker as there is less weight lower down to move
cat locomotion
limb abduction (drawing limb away from medial plane)
Plantigrady (with tail support)
Digital abduction (spreading of the digits)
Supination (to climb and seize prey)
