Scaling of Avian Flight Performance and Muscle Efficiency

飞行是动物运动中最常见的形式，关于飞行设计和性能的进化还有很多东西要学。 鸟类的飞行表现似乎随着身体大小的系统性变化而变化，小动物能够在很大的速度范围内盘旋和飞行，而较大的鸟类被迫使用越来越窄的飞行风格窗口进行盘旋，直到最大的鸟类无法飞行。 固定翼空气动力学理论虽然经常被引用，但对鸟类运动的特性描述得很差，或者至少是预测得不充分。 关于鸟类运动尚待解决的重要问题是：（1）不同体型的动物如何以及为什么表现不同？(2)什么是代谢（即，燃料消耗）和机械功率（即，马力）在飞行过程中的成本以及我们能否准确地测量肌肉（即，电动机）效率，以及（3）在一定的飞行风格和速度范围内，飞行表面的三维构形是如何变化的？ 运动几乎涉及动物生活的各个方面，包括扩散，食物获取，捕食者回避和寻找配偶。 运动员的敏捷性、速度、力量和机动性在不同的物种之间通常是不同的，这使得它们能够成功地适应不同的环境条件。拟议研究的结果将阐明鸟类形态和功能的各个方面，并对脊椎动物生物多样性、体型和运动策略的进化产生更广泛的影响。 此外，随着我们对动物运动的生物力学基础的了解的深入，它可以为人类制造的运动机器的设计特征提供重要的见解，就像航空史上伟大的航空家所做的那样。

Flight is the most common form of animal locomotion, and much is to be learned about evolution of flight design and performance. Avian flight performance appears to vary with body size in a systematic fashion, with small animals capable of hovering and flying over a wide range of speeds and larger birds being forced to locomote using an increasingly narrow window of flight styles, until the largest are rendered flightless. Although frequently cited, fixed-wing aerodynamic theory poorly describes or at least inadequately predicts features of avian locomotion. Important questions yet to be resolved concerning avian locomotion are: (1) how and why do animals of differing body sizes differ in performance?, (2) what are the metabolic (i.e., fuel consumption) and mechanical power (i.e., horse-power) costs during flight and can we accurately measure muscle (i.e., the motor) efficiency?, and (3) how do three-dimensional configurations of flight surfaces change over a range of flight styles and speeds? Locomotion is involved in nearly every aspect of animal life including, dispersal, food acquisition, predator avoidance, and finding mates. Locomotor agility, speed, power, and maneuverability typically differ among species, allowing them to successfully occupy differing environmental conditions. Results from the proposed studies will elucidate aspects of avian form and function, as well as have broader implications for the evolution of vertebrate biodiversity, body size, and locomotor strategies. Moreover, as we advance our knowledge of the biomechanical bases of locomotion in animals, it can provide important insights into design features of human-made locomotor machines, as was done by the great aeronauts of aviation history.