RUI: Energetics and Biomechanics of Formation Swimming in Ducklings

已知许多动物物种以有组织的方式旅行 形成，如鱼类学校和V形编队， 迁徙的鹅 据信，在这种地层中移动， 在游泳或飞行时节约能源。 这将 通过允许它们旅行来使群体中的个体动物受益 以更高的速度或更长的距离 一个人 人类骑自行车者或种族也观察到类似的情况 汽车使用一种称为“牵引”的技术来增加燃料 经济和整体速度。 过去衡量这些好处的尝试 对于动物的形成，已经取得了有限的成功，因为 动物构造的大小和复杂性使研究人员无法 从直接测量任何能源经济来自形成 出行 该项目将尝试通过形成来衡量能源经济 在绿头鸭群中游泳 学习的优势 小鸭子是以简单的直线游泳 地层，并且地层足够小，易于研究 在实验室 一群有印记的小鸭子将被训练 在水道中以不同的速度游泳，同时遵循 诱饵 将比较每只动物的能量消耗 通过操纵群体规模、诱饵的存在或不存在以及年龄 小鸭子 代谢率，从氧气测量 消费，将表明任何能源经济游泳在 阵 同时，录像将详细记录 小鸭子划水的动作 对这些运动的分析 可以与流体动力学模型一起使用， 在游泳过程中消耗，并确定是否特定的位置 在提供能量经济性地层中。 此外，实验 将进行其中染料注入周围的水 小鸭子会看到水流的模式。这可以提供 深入了解能源经济增长的物理原因。 本研究的结果将提供经验数据， 当动物在队形中移动时可以节省的能量的程度。

A number of animal species are known to travel in organized formations, such as fish schools and the V-shaped formations of migrating geese. It is believed that moving in such formation may allow energy conservation during swimming or flying. This would benefit individual animals in the group by allowing them to travel at higher speeds or over longer distances than if they traveled alone. A similar situation is observed for human cyclists or race cars which use a technique called "drafting" to increase fuel economy and overall speed. Past attempts to measure such benefits for animal formations have met with limited success, because the size and complexity of animal formations has prevented researchers from directly measuring any energy economy derived from formation travel. This project will attempt to measure energy economy by formation swimming in mallard ducklings. The advantages of studying ducklings are that ducklings swim in a simple, straight line formation, and the formation is small enough to be easily studied in the laboratory. Groups of imprinted ducklings will be trained to swim at various speeds in a water channel while following a decoy. Comparisons of energy expenditure per animal will be made by manipulating group size, presence or absence of decoy, and age of ducklings. The metabolic rate, measured from oxygen consumption, will indicate any energy economy by swimming in formation. Simultaneously, video recordings will be made to detail the paddling motions of the ducklings. Analysis of these motions can be used with a hydrodynamic model to compute the energy expended during swimming and to determine if particular positions in a formation provide energy economy. In addition, experiments will be conducted in which a dye injected into the water around the ducklings will show the pattern of water flow. This can provide insight into the physical causes for increased energy economy. The results of this study will provide empirical data as to the extent of energy that can be saved as animals move in formation.