locomotion
- Jumping and take-off in a winged scorpion fly (Mecoptera, Panorpa communis)
Summary: High-speed video analysis of jumping in a species of scorpion fly shows that it uses the middle and hind legs for propulsion. Accompanying movements of the wings contribute little to take-off.
- Feedback to the future: motor neuron contributions to central pattern generator function
Summary: Motor neurons relay signals from the brain and spinal cord to muscles that perform behaviors. However, studies across phyla indicate that motor neurons also contribute to the function of pattern-generating circuits.
- Beyond power amplification: latch-mediated spring actuation is an emerging framework for the study of diverse elastic systems
Summary: A framework centered on the dynamic interactions of springs and latches enables clear, comparable measurements and productive interdisciplinary pathways for biological analysis and engineering design.
- Cockroaches use diverse strategies to self-right on the ground
Summary: Comparative study of cockroach self-righting reveals performance advantages of using rotational kinetic energy to overcome the potential energy barrier and rolling more to lower it while maintaining diverse strategies.
- Adhesive latching and legless leaping in small, worm-like insect larvae
Highlighted Article: Legless insect larvae jump long distances by curling into a loop, forming a transient leg through hydrostatic pressurization, and releasing a latch formed by finger-like microstructures.
- Straight arm walking, bent arm running: gait-specific elbow angles
Highlighted Article: The stereotyped difference in elbow angle between walking and running in humans is linked to a mechanical tradeoff between shoulder and elbow muscle torque.
- Goats decrease hindlimb stiffness when walking over compliant surfaces
Summary: Evidence that goats adjust the stiffness of their hindlimbs when walking on hard and soft surfaces, shedding light on their ability to thrive in variable environments.
- Phenotypic plasticity in locomotor performance of a monophyletic group of weevils accords with the ‘warmer is better’ hypothesis
Summary: Among nine weevil populations representing five species from the sub-Antarctic, acclimation responses of locomotion thermal performance curves typically accord with the warmer is better (or thermodynamic effects) hypothesis.