Subject collection: Comparative biomechanics of movement
- The shape effect of flagella is more important than bottom-heaviness on passive gravitactic orientation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Summary: Viscous drag of flagella rather than density asymmetry orients the Chlamydomonas cells upwards in gravitaxis.
- Surprising simplicities and syntheses in limbless self-propulsion in sand
Summary: Dry sandy environments present challenges to animal locomotion, but are also amenable to several useful experimental and theoretical methods, which can generate uncommonly rich insights into animal locomotion.
- Medium compensation in a spring-actuated system
Highlighted Article: Despite the forces of viscous drag underwater, mantis shrimp strike faster in water than they do in air.
- High aerodynamic lift from the tail reduces drag in gliding raptors
Summary: Aerodynamic lift from gliding hawk and owl tails, revealed by tracking helium bubbles, is inconsistent with passive stability or minimizing induced drag, but indicates a role in reducing viscous drag.
- Variation in limb loading magnitude and timing in tetrapods
Summary: Variation in proprioceptive sensory systems across tetrapods influences loading behaviors of the limbs.
- The need for speed: functional specializations of locomotor and feeding muscles in Anolis lizards
Summary: Jaw and leg muscles are shown to consistently vary among five species of Anolis lizards, with each muscle expressing higher performance in different measures of muscle speed.
- Effects of a titin mutation on force enhancement and force depression in mouse soleus muscles
Summary: Force enhancement and force depression are reduced in muscles from mice with a deletion in N2A titin, suggesting that titin plays a role in history-dependent muscle properties that contribute to natural movements.
- Pectoral fin kinematics and motor patterns are shaped by fin ray mechanosensation during steady swimming in Scarus quoyi
Summary: In the absence of pectoral fin ray sensation, increased overlap in activity between antagonistic muscles likely acts to stiffen the fin system in order to enhance control and stability.
- Sexual dimorphism in human arm power and force: implications for sexual selection on fighting ability
Highlighted Article: Sexual dimorphism in arm cranking power in humans suggests that sexual selection has occurred on males using the fist as a weapon.