Animal - Section B - Locomotion 3 (Land & Limbless) Flashcards
Stability on land
For a land animal to be stable MW must be greater than FH
Explain this..
(wide bodied animals are more stable but have limited mobility because they cannot turn easily. Runners must lean into a turn to counteract centrifugal force)
MW must be greater than FH
M = mass (weight) w= 1/2 width of body
>
F = centrifugal force
H = Height
(a force, arising from the body’s inertia, which appears to act on a body moving in a circular path and is directed away from the centre around which the body is moving)
What is the difference between a
1. Quadruped
2. Biped
and give an example for each.
Quadruped = Goat
An animal which has four feet, especially an ungulate mammal.
Biped = Human
An animal that uses two legs for walking
Just on a sidenote the cimpanzee can dsiplay both forms in its locomotion be
A. As animals become larger their mass increases as a cubic function
X3 (length x width x height)
B. However the strength of bones and muscle increasing according to
cross-sectional area as a square function (X2) is twice the size
(As animals become proportiantly larger, the size of the bones have to become proportiantly greater as well as the muscles. This limits how big animals can be)
Types of locomotion:
Ambulatory - (Ambush of zombies)
Saltatorial - (Saltitorial conjunction)
Cursorial - (Specialised Runners)
Fossorial - (Fossil/Archeologist)
Scansorial - (Aerial)
Natatorial
Graviportal (Gravity)
Walkers
Jumpers (Frogs)
Specialised runners (Antelopes, horses, osterich)
Digging and burrowing (Moles/Badgers)
Adapted for climbing (Monkeys)
Swimming (Seals/whales)
Very large species (extreme size = dinosaurs/elephants)
Specialisations for running
The limb can effectively be extended by…
…running on the toes
Specialisations for running
Plantigrade =
Digitigrade =
unguligrade =
= Walking on the sole (bear)
= Walking on the toes (dogs)
=Walking on the hoof (ungulates)
What is the summation of independent velocities?
SoIV = Different sections working independently to create faster overall movements than if you simply made that one element twice as long.
By keeping a series of bones and working them indapendantly you end up with SoIV = much greater speed of movement out at the extremeties as apposed to just extending the length of a femur or similar.
What is gait?
A subjects manner of walking
What is the specialisation of a cheetah which allows it to reach extra distance on each stride?
- Flexion of the spine
- Rotation and cross-over of the legs
(perhaps talk about a little about the inbred pool gene of cheetahs form terrestrial knowledge)
Elastic ligaments do what?
Dampen ground impacts and store energy for the next stride.
Give an example of an:
- Cursorial biped
- Saltatorial
- Cursorial biped
- Cursorial quadrupedal
- Ostrich
- Frog
- Basilisk lizard
- Sand lizard
Snakes use one of four main types of locomotion
Name the four
- Lateral undulatory movement
- Rectilinear movement
- Concertina movement
- Sidewinding
Describe undulatory movement
Same as an eel.
Snake throws its body into a series of waves
Those waves gradually progress down along the body
Each wave pushes against objects like rocks, stones, tree roots
In order to provide enough friction in order to push the body forwards
Describe Rectiilinear movement
The animal does not move side to side at all
‘Like a ruler moving in a straight line’
The snake’s skin is loose fitting and ‘scutes’ on the ventral surface provide movement.
One by one, additional scutes are added to the bunched region from behind as others are stretched away from the front.
Describe Concertina movement
One or more s-shaped coils press downwards and backwards against the substrate.
The forward component of this thrust is used to advance the head forwards which is held clear of the ground.
The concertina locomotion mode also provides much greater what?
Lateral stability when the snake raises its head into a striking pose such as the way the Spitting Cobra does.
Sidewinding
Coils of the snake’s body arch between linear tracks made on the substrate at an angle to the direction of movement.
How does the gliding snake glide?
It compresses its body into a concave C-shape which creates a wide surface area like a parachute to trap air as they fall/glide. By undulating back and forth they can turn in the air.
Familiarise
