Energetic Costs of Locomotion Flashcards
What are the 3 main forms of locomotion in animals?
- Running
- swimming
- flying
Does water have a higher or lower density & viscosity than air?
Higher
What is the term for resistance to movement?
Drag
What is parasitic drag?
Drag on the body as a result of its motion through a medium
Increases with velocity
Why are birds & fish more streamlined?
Birds - drag increases rapidly with speed and they fly fast
Fish - drag is high in dense medium
What is induced drag?
- Force of gravity
- Decreases with an increase in velocity
What is profile drag?
Drag caused by flapping of wings
Creates vortices behind bird
Increases with an increase in velocity
What is the energetic cost of running?
Oxygen consumption increases with an increase in running speed
What animals are the exception for the energetic costs of running?
Kangaroos & wallabies
At low speed, use tail for support & move hind limbs forward
Uses more energy than an equivalent 4-legged animal
Does the cost of running decrease or increase with an increase of body size?
Why?
Decreases
Fewer strides needed, fever muscular contractions
Why is swimming less costly than that of running or flying (in terms of transporting)
Fish’s mass is supported by density of the water
How do fish overcome the drag in dense water?
- Streamlined
- Don’t move very fast
Does it cost more or less for a large bird to fly a given distance than a small bad?
Less
