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Ortega-Jimenez VM, Jusufi A, Brown CE, Zeng Y, Kumar S, Siddall R, Kim B, Challita EJ, Pavlik Z, Priess M, Umhofer T, Koh JS, Socha JJ, Dudley R, Bhamla MS. Air-to-land transitions: from wingless animals and plant seeds to shuttlecocks and bio-inspired robots. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2023; 18:051001. [PMID: 37552773 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/acdb1c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Recent observations of wingless animals, including jumping nematodes, springtails, insects, and wingless vertebrates like geckos, snakes, and salamanders, have shown that their adaptations and body morphing are essential for rapid self-righting and controlled landing. These skills can reduce the risk of physical damage during collision, minimize recoil during landing, and allow for a quick escape response to minimize predation risk. The size, mass distribution, and speed of an animal determine its self-righting method, with larger animals depending on the conservation of angular momentum and smaller animals primarily using aerodynamic forces. Many animals falling through the air, from nematodes to salamanders, adopt a skydiving posture while descending. Similarly, plant seeds such as dandelions and samaras are able to turn upright in mid-air using aerodynamic forces and produce high decelerations. These aerial capabilities allow for a wide dispersal range, low-impact collisions, and effective landing and settling. Recently, small robots that can right themselves for controlled landings have been designed based on principles of aerial maneuvering in animals. Further research into the effects of unsteady flows on self-righting and landing in small arthropods, particularly those exhibiting explosive catapulting, could reveal how morphological features, flow dynamics, and physical mechanisms contribute to effective mid-air control. More broadly, studying apterygote (wingless insects) landing could also provide insight into the origin of insect flight. These research efforts have the potential to lead to the bio-inspired design of aerial micro-vehicles, sports projectiles, parachutes, and impulsive robots that can land upright in unsteady flow conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor M Ortega-Jimenez
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, United States of America
| | - Ardian Jusufi
- Soft Kinetic Group, Engineering Sciences Department, Empa Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 129, Dübendorf 8600, Switzerland
- University of Zurich, Institutes for Neuroinformatics and Palaeontology, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
- Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Christian E Brown
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Science Center 110, Tampa, FL 33620, United States of America
| | - Yu Zeng
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Science Center 110, Tampa, FL 33620, United States of America
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States of America
| | - Sunny Kumar
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30318, United States of America
| | - Robert Siddall
- Aerial Robotics Lab, Imperial College of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Baekgyeom Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ajou University, Gyeonggi-do 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Elio J Challita
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30318, United States of America
| | - Zoe Pavlik
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, United States of America
| | - Meredith Priess
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, United States of America
| | - Thomas Umhofer
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, United States of America
| | - Je-Sung Koh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ajou University, Gyeonggi-do 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - John J Socha
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Robert Dudley
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Science Center 110, Tampa, FL 33620, United States of America
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama
| | - M Saad Bhamla
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30318, United States of America
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Freymiller GA, Whitford MD, Schwaner MJ, McGowan CP, Higham TE, Clark RW. Comparative analysis of Dipodomys species indicates that kangaroo rat hindlimb anatomy is adapted for rapid evasive leaping. J Anat 2022; 240:466-474. [PMID: 34648184 PMCID: PMC8819043 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Body size is a key factor that influences antipredator behavior. For animals that rely on jumping to escape from predators, there is a theoretical trade-off between jump distance and acceleration as body size changes at both the inter- and intraspecific levels. Assuming geometric similarity, acceleration will decrease with increasing body size due to a smaller increase in muscle cross-sectional area than body mass. Smaller animals will likely have a similar jump distance as larger animals due to their shorter limbs and faster accelerations. Therefore, in order to maintain acceleration in a jump across different body sizes, hind limbs must be disproportionately bigger for larger animals. We explored this prediction using four species of kangaroo rats (Dipodomys spp.), a genus of bipedal rodent with similar morphology across a range of body sizes (40-150 g). Kangaroo rat jump performance was measured by simulating snake strikes to free-ranging individuals. Additionally, morphological measurements of hind limb muscles and segment lengths were obtained from thawed frozen specimens. Overall, jump acceleration was constant across body sizes and jump distance increased with increasing size. Additionally, kangaroo rat hind limb muscle mass and cross-sectional area scaled with positive allometry. Ankle extensor tendon cross-sectional area also scaled with positive allometry. Hind limb segment length scaled isometrically, with the exception of the metatarsals, which scaled with negative allometry. Overall, these findings support the hypothesis that kangaroo rat hind limbs are built to maintain jump acceleration rather than jump distance. Selective pressure from single-strike predators, such as snakes and owls, likely drives this relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace A. Freymiller
- Department of BiologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaRiversideCaliforniaUSA
| | - Malachi D. Whitford
- Department of BiologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
- Graduate Group in EcologyUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCaliforniaUSA
| | - M. Janneke Schwaner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaIrvineCaliforniaUSA
| | - Craig P. McGowan
- Keck School of MedicineUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Timothy E. Higham
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaRiversideCaliforniaUSA
| | - Rulon W. Clark
- Department of BiologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
- Chiricahua Desert MuseumRodeoNew MexicoUSA
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Iyer AA, Briggman KL. Amphibian behavioral diversity offers insights into evolutionary neurobiology. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 71:19-28. [PMID: 34481981 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have served to emphasize the unique placement of amphibians, composed of more than 8000 species, in the evolution of the brain. We provide an overview of the three amphibian orders and their respective ecologies, behaviors, and brain anatomy. Studies have probed the origins of independently evolved parental care strategies in frogs and the biophysical principles driving species-specific differences in courtship vocalization patterns. Amphibians are also important models for studying the central control of movement, especially in the context of the vertebrate origin of limb-based locomotion. By highlighting the versatility of amphibians, we hope to see a further adoption of anurans, urodeles, and gymnophionans as model systems for the evolution and neural basis of behavior across vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya A Iyer
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (Caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, Bonn, Germany
| | - Kevin L Briggman
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (Caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, Bonn, Germany.
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Jumping in arboreal salamanders: A possible tradeoff between takeoff velocity and in-air posture. ZOOLOGY 2020; 138:125724. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2019.125724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Hessel AL, Ryerson WG, Whitenack LB. Doing Without: Jump Performance After Tail Autotomy in Three Species of Plethodontid Salamanders. HERPETOLOGICA 2017. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-15-00067.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anthony L. Hessel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Allegheny College, Meadville, PA 16335, USA
| | - William G. Ryerson
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Lisa B. Whitenack
- Department of Biological Sciences, Allegheny College, Meadville, PA 16335, USA
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Effects of size, caudal autotomy, and predator kairomones on the foraging behavior of Allegheny Mountain dusky salamanders (Desmognathus ochrophaeus). Acta Ethol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-017-0259-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Reilly SM, Montuelle SJ, Schmidt A, Krause C, Naylor E, Jorgensen ME, Essner RL. Pelvic function in anuran jumping: Interspecific differences in the kinematics and motor control of the iliosacral articulation during take‐off and landing. J Morphol 2016; 277:1539-1558. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2016] [Revised: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Steve M. Reilly
- Department of Biological SciencesOhio University Ohio45701 Athens
| | - Stephane J. Montuelle
- Department of Biomedical SciencesOhio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Ohio45701 Athens
| | - Andre Schmidt
- Department of Biomedical SciencesOhio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Ohio45701 Athens
- Klinik Bavaria KreischaKreischa01731 Germany
| | - Cornelia Krause
- Department of Biomedical SciencesOhio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Ohio45701 Athens
| | - Emily Naylor
- Department of Biomedical SciencesOhio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Ohio45701 Athens
- Department of BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaRiverside92521
| | - Michael E. Jorgensen
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical SciencesUniversity of Missouri School of Medicine Missouri65212 Columbia
| | - Richard L. Essner
- Department of Biological SciencesSouthern Illinois University Edwardsville Illinois62026
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Marvin GA, Davis K, Dawson J. Effect of acute low body temperature on predatory behavior and prey-capture efficiency in a plethodontid salamander. Physiol Behav 2016; 158:121-7. [PMID: 26939728 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.02.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2016] [Revised: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The low-temperature limit for feeding in some salamander species (Desmognathus, Plethodontidae) has been inferred from field studies of seasonal variation in salamander activity and gut contents, which could not determine whether feeding is more dependent on environmental conditions influencing salamander foraging behavior or prey availability and movement. We performed two controlled laboratory experiments to examine the effect of short-term (acute) low body temperature on predatory behavior and prey-capture efficiency in a semiaquatic plethodontid salamander (Desmognathus conanti). In the first experiment, we quantified variation in the feeding responses of cold salamanders (at 1, 3, 5 and 7°C) to a video recording of a walking, warm (15°C) cricket to determine the lower thermal limit for predatory behavior, independent of any temperature effect on movement of prey. Experimental-group salamanders exhibited vigorous feeding responses at 5 and 7°C, large variation in feeding responses both among and within individuals (over time) at 3°C, and little to no feeding response at 1°C. Feeding responses at both 1 and 3°C were significantly less than at each higher temperature, whereas responses of control-group individuals at 15°C did not vary over time. In the second experiment, we quantified feeding by cold salamanders (at 3, 5, 7 and 11°C) on live, warm crickets to examine thermal effects on prey-capture ability. The mean feeding response to live crickets was significantly less at 3°C than at higher temperatures; however, 50% of salamanders captured and ingested prey with high efficiency at this temperature. We conclude that many individuals stalk and capture prey at very low temperatures (down to 3°C). Our results support a growing body of data that indicate many plethodontid salamanders feed at temperatures only a few degrees above freezing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn A Marvin
- Department of Biology, University of North Alabama, Box 5048, 1 Harrison Plaza, Florence, AL 35632-0002, USA.
| | - Kayla Davis
- Department of Biology, University of North Alabama, Box 5048, 1 Harrison Plaza, Florence, AL 35632-0002, USA
| | - Jacob Dawson
- Department of Biology, University of North Alabama, Box 5048, 1 Harrison Plaza, Florence, AL 35632-0002, USA
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Ryerson WG, Hessel AL, Whitenack LB. Comparative jumping mechanics in plethodontid salamanders. J Zool (1987) 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- W. G. Ryerson
- Biology Department Saint Anselm College Manchester NH USA
| | - A. L. Hessel
- Biology Department Allegheny College Meadville PA USA
- Department of Biological Sciences Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
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Koo Y, Malik R, Alvarez N, Shanov VN, Schulz M, Sankar J, Yun Y. Free-standing carbon nanotube-titania photoactive sheets. J Colloid Interface Sci 2015; 448:148-55. [PMID: 25725399 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2015.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2014] [Revised: 02/05/2015] [Accepted: 02/08/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
We report on the development of a new photoactive material via titania (TiO2) nanoparticle deposition on free-standing aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets. Controlling homogeneous dispersion of negatively charged TiO2 nanoparticles, achieved by adjusting pH higher than the point of zero charge (PZC), influenced electrochemical deposition of TiO2 on CNT sheets substrate. Varying deposition time with constant voltage, 5 V allowed different thickness of TiO2 to be deposited layer on the CNT sheets. The thickness and morphology of CNT-TiO2 sheets was verified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Electrochemical experiments show that diffusion coefficient of Fe(CN)6(3-) was 5.56×10(-6) cm(2) s(-1) at pristine CNT sheets and 2.19×10(-6) cm(2) s(-1) at the CNT-TiO2 sheets. Photocatalytic activity for CNT-TiO2 sheets exhibits high photocurrent density (when deposition time=30 min, 4.3 μA cm(-2) in N2, 13.4 μA cm(-2) in CO2). This paper proved a possibility to use CNT-TiO2 sheets based on highly-aligned CNT sheets substrate as new photoactive material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youngmi Koo
- Engineering Research Center, Department of Chemical, Biological, and Bio Engineering, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA
| | - Rachit Malik
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Noe Alvarez
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Vesselin N Shanov
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Mark Schulz
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Jag Sankar
- Engineering Research Center, Department of Chemical, Biological, and Bio Engineering, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA
| | - Yeoheung Yun
- Engineering Research Center, Department of Chemical, Biological, and Bio Engineering, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA.
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Ashley-Ross MA, Perlman BM, Gibb AC, Long JH. Jumping sans legs: does elastic energy storage by the vertebral column power terrestrial jumps in bony fishes? ZOOLOGY 2014; 117:7-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2013.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2013] [Revised: 10/11/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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