The Possibility of Zero Limb-Work Gaits in Sprawled and Parasagittal Quadrupeds: Insights from Linkages of the Industrial Revolution.

ABSTRACT: Animal legs are diverse, complex, and perform many roles. One defining requirement of legs is to facilitate terrestrial travel with some degree of economy. This could, theoretically, be achieved without loss of mechanical energy if the body could take a continuous horizontal path supported by vertical forces only-effectively a wheel-like translation, and a condition closely approximated by walking tortoises. If this is a potential strategy for zero mechanical work cost among quadrupeds, how might the structure, posture, and diversity of both sprawled and parasagittal legs be interpreted? In order to approach this question, various linkages described during the industrial revolution are considered. Watt's linkage provides an analogue for sprawled vertebrates that uses diagonal limb support

SUBMITTER: Usherwood JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7545857 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature