Small deviations in kinematics and body form dictate muscle performances in the finely tuned avian downstroke.

ABSTRACT: Avian takeoff requires peak pectoralis muscle power to generate sufficient aerodynamic force during the downstroke. Subsequently, the much smaller supracoracoideus recovers the wing during the upstroke. How the pectoralis work loop is tuned to power flight is unclear. We integrate wingbeat-resolved muscle, kinematic, and aerodynamic recordings in vivo with a new mathematical model to disentangle how the pectoralis muscle overcomes wing inertia and generates aerodynamic force during takeoff in doves. Doves reduce the angle of attack of their wing mid-downstroke to efficiently generate aerodynamic force, resulting in an aerodynamic power dip, that allows transferring excess pectoralis power into tensioning the supracoracoideus tendon to assist the upstroke-improving the pectoralis wor

SUBMITTER: Deetjen ME 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10942624 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature