Results from kinematic analysis of the ballistic phase (first 20 ms) of mouth opening in freely behaving toads
| Gape distance (mm) | xt (mm) | r2 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | In:out lever ratio | N | Max/Min | Max/Min | kt (N m-1) | beff (Ns m-1) | Max/Min |
| 1 | 1:7.9 | 11 | 28.3/19.2 | 3.7/2.5 | 712±73 | 5.6±0.6 | 0.998/0.981 |
| 2 | 1:7.9 | 22 | 23.9/18.7 | 3.1/2.4 | 582±28 | 4.4±0.2 | 0.999/0.989 |
| 3 | 1:8.6 | 22 | 19.1/11.0 | 2.5/1.4 | 522±40 | 4.1±0.3 | 0.998/0.989 |
| 4 | 1:7.7 | 16 | 24.8/22.5 | 3.6/2.9 | 508±42 | 4.4±0.3 | 0.999/0.989 |
| Mean | 1:8.0 | - | 24.0/17.9 | 3.2/2.3 | 581 | 4.6 | 0.999/0.987 |
| s.e.m. | 0.2 | - | 1.9/2.4 | 0.3/0.3 | 47 | 0.3 | 0.0003/0.002 |
Values for kt and beff are means± s.e.m. For individual and in:out lever ratio of the depressor mandibulae muscles, N=4; listed N values = number of feeding trials per individual.
xt, total displacement of the depressor mandibulae muscles and extra-muscular connective tissues; kt, mean total spring constant; beff, mean effective damping coefficient; r2, least-squares fit [between observed and predicted total displacement (xt) vs time].