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Updated: Apr 15, 2026
Probing the Roles of Physical Forces in Early Chick Embryonic Morphogenesis
Published on: June 5, 2018
Drift during overground locomotion in newly hatched chicks varies with light exposure during embryogenesis
Jay H Porterfield1, Anil Sindhurakar, James M Finley
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.
Insights
Newly hatched chicks incubated in continuous dark showed more lateral drift during locomotion than those incubated in bright light. This suggests differences in balance and forward progression control, impacting motor development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Animal behavior
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Previous research indicated light exposure during incubation affects chick locomotor development.
- Continuous bright light accelerated development, while continuous dark delayed it.
- Dark-incubated chicks exhibited wider steps, suggesting potential balance and control differences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in lateral drift in chicks incubated under extreme light conditions.
- To test the hypothesis that dark-incubated chicks exhibit greater lateral drift.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of previously collected locomotor data.
- Examination of gait parameters focusing on lateral drift and forward progression.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in forward progression were identified between light and dark incubated groups.
- Analysis supported the hypothesis of increased lateral drift in dark-incubated chicks.
Conclusions:
- Incubation light conditions influence chick locomotion beyond basic gait parameters.
- Findings highlight the role of light in motor development and suggest further research into balance control mechanisms.
Abstract:
In an earlier study of newly hatched chicks we reported that continuous bright light exposure throughout incubation accelerated locomotor development and continuous dark exposure delayed it, compared to less intense, intermittent light exposure. Commonly studied gait parameters indicated locomotor skill was similar across groups. However, dark incubated chicks walked with a greater step width, raising the possibility of differences in dynamic balance and control of forward progression. In this study, we established methods to retrospectively examine the previously published locomotor data for differences in lateral drift. We hypothesized that chicks incubated in darkness would exhibit more drift than chicks incubated in light. Analyses identified differences in forward progression between chicks incubated in the two extreme light conditions, supporting the study's hypothesis. We discuss the significance of our findings and potential design considerations for future studies of light-accelerated motor development in precocial and nonprecocial animals.
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