在早期的脊椎动物陆地机车模型中,尾巴可以提高软基板的性能
Benjamin McInroe1, Henry C Astley1, Chaohui Gong2
1School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|July 9, 2016
概括
早期的脊椎动物可能会用尾巴在陆地上移动. 协调尾巴运动改善了在具有挑战性的,变化的地形上的机动,帮助从水到陆地过渡.
科学领域:
- 进化生物学
- 生物力学
- 古生物学
背景情况:
- 早期四足动物面临着向陆地过渡的运动挑战.
- 在沙子和泥土等可变基板上的陆地运动是复杂的.
- 附属物使用对基质条件和形态敏感.
研究的目的:
- 研究如何使用尾巴可以在可变基板上增强运动.
- 了解尾巴在陆地早期适应过程中的作用.
- 探索尾巴辅助运动对早期脊椎动物的好处.
主要方法:
- 使用生物模型 (mudskipper) 和物理机器人模型.
- 进行颗粒式阻力测量.
- 应用几何力学的理论工具.
主要成果:
- 证实尾部使用可以提高肢体的强度.
- 显示的尾部运动增强了不同硬度和倾斜度的基板上的稳定性.
- 量化了尾部辅助运动的好处.
结论:
- 尾巴在具有挑战性的陆地环境中提供了显著的移动优势.
- 在早期脊椎动物迁移到陆地时, 它们的尾巴运动很可能发挥了关键作用.
- 这项研究提供了早期四足动物运动的生物力学见解.
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