Moving in complex environments: a biomechanical analysis of locomotion on inclined and narrow substrates
Moving in complex environments: a biomechanical analysis of locomotion on inclined and narrow substrates
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DOI：
10.1242/jeb.189654
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发表时间：
2019-03-01
影响因子：
2.8
通讯作者：
Wilson, Robbie S.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Clemente, Christofer J.;Dick, Taylor J. M.;Wilson, Robbie S.
生物体在不同栖息地的表现特征可以让我们深入了解允许其生存和繁殖的条件。近年来北方袋鼬（Dasyurus hullatus）--一种中等大小的半树栖有袋动物，原产于澳大利亚北方--在开阔的森林、林地和河岸栖息地中经历了显著的人口下降，但在岩石地区的人口下降较少。为了帮助理解这种下降，我们量化了野生北方袋鼬的生物力学性能，因为他们跑了倾斜窄（13毫米杆）和倾斜宽（90毫米平台）基板。我们预测，袋鼬可能具有生物力学适应，以增加稳定性狭窄的表面，这是更常见的岩石栖息地。我们的研究结果表明，quolls有一些生物力学特性与稳定性的优势，在狭窄的表面。这包括成对肢体的联合使用，如通过减少脚步时间所示，以及产生校正扭矩以抵消在狭窄表面上步态期间通常遇到的倾倒力矩的能力。然而，在狭窄的表面上，速度受到限制，而且袋鼬不采用对角线序列步态，不像真正的树栖专家，如灵长类动物。与猫和狗等主要捕食者相比，北方袋鼬在陆地环境中表现较差，但在狭窄的支撑物上以更高的速度具有稳定性优势。这可能部分解释了澳大利亚大陆不同栖息地中北方鹌鹑种群的异质下降。
Characterisation of an organism's performance in different habitats provides insight into the conditions that allow it to survive and reproduce. In recent years. the northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus)-a medium-sized semi-arboreal marsupial native to northern Australia - has undergone significant population declines within open forest, woodland and riparian habitats, but less so in rocky areas. To help understand this decline, we quantified the biomechanical performance of wild northern quolls as they ran up inclined narrow (13 mm pole) and inclined wide (90 mm platform) substrates. We predicted that quolls may possess biomechanical adaptations to increase stability on narrow surfaces, which are more common in rocky habitats. Our results showed that quolls have some biomechanical characteristics consistent with a stability advantage on narrow surfaces. This includes the coupled use of limb pairs, as indicated via a decrease in footfall time, and an ability to produce corrective torques to counteract the toppling moments commonly encountered during gait on narrow surfaces. However, speed was constrained on narrow surfaces, and quolls did not adopt diagonal sequence gaits, unlike true arboreal specialists such as primates. In comparison with key predators, such as cats and dogs, northern quolls appear inferior in terrestrial environments but have a stability advantage at higher speeds on narrow supports. This may partially explain the heterogeneous declines in northern quoll populations among various habitats on mainland Australia.