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Fig. 6. (A) Gape profile during prey capture (black line) synchronized with EMG activity of the depressor mandibulae (DM, red) and levator mandibulae posterior longus (LM, blue). The ballistic phase of mouth opening is completed during the first 20 ms and is followed by slower mouth opening as the prey item is transported into the oral cavity. The depressor mandibulae exhibits a large burst of activity that precedes the onset of movement by up to 250 ms, and a smaller burst that accompanies the increase in gape angle during prey transport. The levator mandibulae shows low-level activity before movement, followed by a large-amplitude burst during mouth closing. Neither muscle is active during ballistic mouth opening. (B) Examples of depressor mandibulae activity during a trial with a smaller total displacement (x_t=2.8 mm, 0.16 ML, above) vs a trial with a larger total displacement (x_t=3.3 mm, 0.19 ML, below). Both trials are from the same toad (Ba 2). During the trial with the larger total displacement, the depressor mandibulae exhibits greater amplitude and a longer duration of activity prior to movement than during the trial with the smaller total displacement. Vertical lines delineate the ballistic phase of mouth opening. (C) Relationship between total integrated area of depressor mandibulae activity (mVs) preceding movement and total displacement (mm) during ballistic mouth opening (N=2). (D) Relationship between distance to prey (cm) and duration of depressor mandibulae activity prior to movement (N=4). Colors represent different individuals.

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