Navigation Links
Birds 'flap run' instead if flying over obstacles to save energy
Date:6/22/2011

Why don't you ever see baby pigeons? For the same reason you don't see many chicks: they can't fly. It can take months for their partially developed wings and flight muscles to become airworthy, and by then the youngsters are almost fullygrown. However, long before their maiden flight, pigeon chicks probably put their developing wings to use, flapping as they run up steep branches. Brandon Jackson from the University of Montana, USA, explains that Ken Dial and his son first noticed this strange behaviour when filming chuckar chicks negotiating obstacles: instead of flying over, the birds ran up the object flapping their wings. And when Dial discussed this behaviour with local ranchers and hunters, some described adult chukars flapping to run up cliffs. So why do adult birds flap and run up steep objects when they are perfectly capable of flying? Jackson, Dial and their colleague Bret Tobalske wondered whether pigeons might use 'flap running' to save energy, so they measured the amount of power generated by the flight muscles of flap running and flying birds and found that flap running birds use less than 10% of the energy of birds flying at the same angle. The publish their discovery in The Journal of Experimental Biology at http://jeb.biologists.org/content/214/14/2354.abstract.

First, the team familiarised the birds with the ramps they were to ascend and trained them to fly to a perch so that they could compare the muscle power output from the flight muscle as the birds 'flap ran' and as they flew up at the same angle. Then they implanted sensors into the birds' wing and flight muscle to measure the power output and muscle activity. Finally, the team filmed the birds as they flap ran up an almost vertical ramp (85deg) and a steep ramp at 65deg, and flew at various take-off angles to the perch.

Watching the muscle activity trace as the birds flap ran up the 65deg incl
'/>"/>

Contact: Kathryn Knight
kathryn@biologists.com
44-078-763-44333
The Company of Biologists
Source:Eurekalert

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. College scientist cites enlarged skeletal muscles as reason birds exist
2. Birdsong independent of brain size
3. Songbirds tweak their tunes in different ways to cope with clamor
4. Mercury on the rise in endangered Pacific seabirds
5. Birds must choose between mating, migrating, study finds
6. Living dinosaurs: The evolutionary history of modern birds
7. New research suggests wild birds may play a role in the spread of bird flu
8. WCS releases Birds of Brazil
9. MU researcher works to save one of the worlds most endangered birds
10. Lovers lane for birds found in Arctic
11. American birds of prey at higher risk of poisoning from pest control chemicals
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:5/16/2013)... years old give unprecedented insight into the evolutionary ... most species-rich groups among the modern bony fishes. ... from the Division of Paleontology and Geobiology at ... Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich / Germany have completed ... assign to the group of bony fishes that ...
(Date:5/16/2013)... Cameroon and the manager of San Diego Zoo Global,s ... Whitley award. The Whitley award is an international ... it celebrates the extraordinary achievements of some of the ... was selected for the award due to his efforts ... its wildlife inhabitants., HRH The Princess Royal, the charity,s ...
(Date:5/15/2013)... studies touting its benefit in moderating gout risk, new ... does not reduce uric acid (urate) levels to a ... C supplementation, alone or in combination with allopurinol, appears ... levels in gout patients according to the results published ... Arthritis & Rheumatism . , Gout is an ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Paleontology: The eloquence of the otoliths 2Paleontology: The eloquence of the otoliths 3Cameroon researcher wins prestigious 'Green Oscar' 2Cameroon researcher wins prestigious 'Green Oscar' 3Vitamin C does not lower uric acid levels in gout patients 2
... Academies today announced the recipients of their 2009 Communication ... INITIATIVE, these prestigious awards recognize excellence in reporting and ... With support from the W.M. Keck Foundation, the ... This year,s winners will be honored during a ...
... Boston, with the Broad Institute and Harvard Medical School, ... National Institute of Mental Health as part of the ... with autism, using new technologies for rapid DNA sequencing ... grant, part of the federal stimulus package, officially starts ...
... of Massachusetts Medical School today announced the beginning of ... activity of a human monoclonal antibody (MAB) developed to ... being conducted at the King Edward Memorial Hospital in ... of India, which is working in a collaborative partnership ...
Cached Biology News:Academies announce winners of 2009 Communication Awards 2Academies announce winners of 2009 Communication Awards 3Stimulus grant to fund whole-genome sequencing in children with autism 2Stimulus grant to fund whole-genome sequencing in children with autism 3First human gets new antibody aimed at rabies virus 2First human gets new antibody aimed at rabies virus 3
(Date:5/16/2013)... DIEGO , May 16, 2013  The registration ... of Bioscience Financial Officers (ABFO) 2013 National Conference, the ... be held May 28-31 at the Hilton San Diego ... touches on this year,s conference and want to make ... to attend," said Brandi Roberts , ...
(Date:5/16/2013)... May 16, 2013 As the weather warms, ... their favorite Spring looks. While most make a statement with ... many women find the warmer weather mixes makeup and sweat ... with the onset of acne during warmer months, Adult ... acne treatment users the best ways to deter breakouts. ...
(Date:5/16/2013)... NEW YORK , May 16, ... a new market research report is ...   Competitor Analysis: ... Biosuperiors http://www.reportlinker.com/p01171947/Competitor-Analysis-Therapeutic-Proteins-–-Biosimilars-Biobetters--Biosuperiors.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Biopharmaceutical ...   The ...
(Date:5/16/2013)... 2013 BioInformatics LLC New Market Report ... Cell-Derived Cells: Current and Future Opportunities (13-004) , ... in the primary cells market continues to increase. In ... used most often, how satisfied scientists are with commercially ... anticipated growth rate. ,  , Additionally, terminally differentiated ...
Breaking Biology Technology:Registration Extended Until May 22 for Association of Bioscience Financial Officers (ABFO) 2013 National Conference -- San Diego 2Registration Extended Until May 22 for Association of Bioscience Financial Officers (ABFO) 2013 National Conference -- San Diego 3Registration Extended Until May 22 for Association of Bioscience Financial Officers (ABFO) 2013 National Conference -- San Diego 4Adult Acne Treatment, Probiotic Action Shares New Tips for Women on How to Fight Acne While Wearing Makeup 2Competitor Analysis: Therapeutic Proteins - Biosimilars, Biobetters & Biosuperiors 2Competitor Analysis: Therapeutic Proteins - Biosimilars, Biobetters & Biosuperiors 3Competitor Analysis: Therapeutic Proteins - Biosimilars, Biobetters & Biosuperiors 4Competitor Analysis: Therapeutic Proteins - Biosimilars, Biobetters & Biosuperiors 5Competitor Analysis: Therapeutic Proteins - Biosimilars, Biobetters & Biosuperiors 6Competitor Analysis: Therapeutic Proteins - Biosimilars, Biobetters & Biosuperiors 7Competitor Analysis: Therapeutic Proteins - Biosimilars, Biobetters & Biosuperiors 8BioInformatics LLC New Market Report – The Market for Primary Cells & Stem Cell-Derived Cells: Current and Future Opportunities (13-004) 2BioInformatics LLC New Market Report – The Market for Primary Cells & Stem Cell-Derived Cells: Current and Future Opportunities (13-004) 3
... - Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute Launched ... Key Role in Halting Escalating,Disease in the EMEA ... the number of people with diabetes,will have increased ... within Eastern,Mediterranean and Middle Eastern populations and 80 ...
... Sept. 24 InVitria,( http://www.InVitria.com ) addressed ... Cell Culture Development" Conference on,September 15-16 in ... optimizing cell culture media using its product ... ), In a presentation of scientific ...
... (Nasdaq: MATK ) --,Martek Biosciences Corporation ... sole source supply agreement with Grupo Ricap. Martek ... produced by Grupo Ricap in,Mexico. Grupo Ricap is ... & life,sARA(TM) will initially be available in infant,formula ...
Cached Biology Technology:Health Experts Call for New Strategies to Combat Alarming Rise in Diabetes 2Health Experts Call for New Strategies to Combat Alarming Rise in Diabetes 3Health Experts Call for New Strategies to Combat Alarming Rise in Diabetes 4InVitria Touts Product Advantages at Cambridge's Cell Culture Conference 2Martek to be the Sole Source Supplier of DHA and ARA for Infant Formulas Produced By Grupo Ricap 2
For testing the AQUA technique on your MS instruments....
Our original highly-purified, robust Taq Polymerase which delivers consistently high yields and minimal background...
A formulation of our Biolase DNA Polymerase which contains a Red Loading Dye...
... assay (ELISA) test kits are qualitative ... the detection of drugs and/or their metabolites ... for forensic use only. It is recommended ... a quantitative method such as GC/MS. ...
Biology Products: