Fluoromicrometry reveals minimal influence of tendon elasticity during snake locomotion.

ABSTRACT: Multiarticular muscle systems are widespread across vertebrates, including in their necks, digits, tails and trunks. In secondarily limbless tetrapods, the multiarticular trunk muscles power nearly all behaviors. Using snakes as a study system, we previously used anatomical measurements and mathematical modeling to derive an equation relating multiarticular trunk muscle shortening to postural change. However, some snake trunk muscles have long, thin tendinous connections, raising the possibility of elastic energy storage, which could lead to a decoupling of muscle length change from joint angle change. The next step, therefore, is to determine whether in vivo muscle shortening produces the postural changes predicted by mathematical modeling. A departure from predictions would implicate ela

SUBMITTER: Tingle JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11925394 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature