QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Harris, M. A. Articles by Steudel, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Harris, M. A. Articles by Steudel, K. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The Journal of Experimental Biology 205, 3877-3889 (2002)
Copyright © 2002 The Company of Biologists Limited

The relationship between maximum jumping performance and hind limb morphology/physiology in domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus)

Michelle A. Harris^1,* and Karen Steudel²

¹ Biology Core Curriculum, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 307 Noland Hall, 250 N. Mills Street, Madison, WI 53706, USA
² Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: maharris{at}facstaff.wisc.edu)

Accepted 23 September 2002

A critical role of functional morphology is to demonstrate form—function relationships that can then be used by evolutionary biologists to infer the evolutionary history of the structure in question. Tests of theoretical expectations about the effects of many aspects of morphology/physiology on locomotor performance have had very mixed results. If systems such as jumping can be shown to reliably predict performance from morphology, this would provide a foundation upon which hypotheses for the evolutionary origin of certain morphologies can be generated. The present study examined whether a relationship exists between maximum takeoff velocity (TOV) and several carefully chosen morphological and physiological traits in domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus). Based on the contributions of extensor muscle work to increasing the kinetic and potential energy of the center of mass (CM) during takeoff, we predicted that maximum TOV would be dependent upon relative limb length, relative extensor muscle mass, body mass and the percentage of fast-twitch muscle fibers. Both maximum TOV and this series of traits were measured in 18 cats. We found that variation in cat maximum TOV is significantly explained by both hind limb length and fat mass relative to lean body mass, but not by extensor muscle mass relative to lean mass or fast-twitch fiber content. The effect of body fat mass is pervasive because it reduces the proportion of muscle mass/body mass and thus increases the muscle work invested in increasing the CM potential energy as compared with kinetic energy during takeoff.

Key words: takeoff velocity, muscle, morphology, physiology, form—function, locomotion, jumping, cat, Felis silvestris catus

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. A. Chappell, T. Garland Jr, G. F. Robertson, and W. Saltzman Relationships among running performance, aerobic physiology and organ mass in male Mongolian gerbils J. Exp. Biol., December 1, 2007; 210(23): 4179 - 4197. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. S. James, C. A. Navas, and A. Herrel How important are skeletal muscle mechanics in setting limits on jumping performance? J. Exp. Biol., March 15, 2007; 210(6): 923 - 933. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Bergmann and D. J. Irschick Effects of temperature on maximum acceleration, deceleration and power output during vertical running in geckos J. Exp. Biol., April 15, 2006; 209(8): 1404 - 1412. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]