Turtling the salamander: tail movements mitigate need for kinematic limb changes during walking in tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) with restricted lateral movement

Integrative Organismal Biology ◽

10.1093/iob/obab029 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Christine M Vega ◽

Miriam A Ashley-Ross

Keyword(s):

Stride Length ◽

The Body ◽

Ambystoma Tigrinum ◽

Lateral Movement ◽

Tiger Salamanders ◽

Body Regions ◽

Lateral Undulation ◽

Limb Kinematics ◽

Sprawling Posture ◽

Trunk Flexibility

Abstract Lateral undulation and trunk flexibility offer performance benefits to maneuverability, stability, and stride length (via speed and distance traveled). These benefits make them key characteristics of the locomotion of tetrapods with sprawling posture, with the exception of turtles. Despite their bony carapace preventing lateral undulations, turtles are able to improve their locomotor performance by increasing stride length via greater limb protraction. The goal of this study was to quantify the effect of reduced lateral flexibility in a generalized sprawling tetrapod, the tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum). We had two potential predictions: (1) either salamanders completely compensate by changing their limb kinematics, or (2) their performance (i.e., speed) will suffer due to the reduced lateral flexibility. This reduction was performed by artificially limiting trunk flexibility by attaching a 2-piece shell around the body between the pectoral and pelvic girdles. Adult tiger salamanders (n = 3, SVL = 9 cm-14.5 cm) walked on a 1 m trackway under three different conditions: unrestricted, flexible shell (Tygon tubing), and rigid shell (PVC tubing). Trials were filmed in a single, dorsal view, and kinematics of entire midline and specific body regions (head, trunk, tail), as well as the fore and hindlimbs, were calculated. Tygon individuals had significantly higher curvature than both PVC and unrestricted individuals for the body, but this trend was primarily driven by changes in tail movements. PVC individuals had significantly lower curvature in the trunk region compared to unrestricted individuals or Tygon; however, there was no difference between unrestricted and Tygon individuals suggesting the shells performed as expected. PVC and Tygon individuals had significantly higher curvature in the tails compared to unrestricted individuals. There were no significant differences for any limb kinematic variables among treatments including average, minimum, maximum angles. Thus, salamanders respond to decreased lateral movement in their trunk by increasing movements in their tail, without changes in limb kinematics. These results suggest that tail undulations may be a more critical component to sprawling-postured tetrapod locomotion than previously recognized.

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Slithering CSF: Cerebrospinal Fluid Dynamics in the Stationary and Moving Viper Boa, Candoia aspera

Biology ◽

10.3390/biology10070672 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 672

Author(s):

Bruce A. Young ◽

Skye Greer ◽

Michael Cramberg

Keyword(s):

Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽

Cardiac Cycle ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Mean Amplitude ◽

The Body ◽

Body Waves ◽

Lower Amplitude ◽

Lateral Undulation ◽

Recovery From Anesthesia ◽

The Relationship

In the viper boa (Candoia aspera), the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shows two stable overlapping patterns of pulsations: low-frequency (0.08 Hz) pulses with a mean amplitude of 4.1 mmHg that correspond to the ventilatory cycle, and higher-frequency (0.66 Hz) pulses with a mean amplitude of 1.2 mmHg that correspond to the cardiac cycle. Manual oscillations of anesthetized C. aspera induced propagating sinusoidal body waves. These waves resulted in a different pattern of CSF pulsations with frequencies corresponding to the displacement frequency of the body and with amplitudes greater than those of the cardiac or ventilatory cycles. After recovery from anesthesia, the snakes moved independently using lateral undulation and concertina locomotion. The episodes of lateral undulation produced similar influences on the CSF pressure as were observed during the manual oscillations, though the induced CSF pulsations were of lower amplitude during lateral undulation. No impact on the CSF was found while C. aspera was performing concertina locomotion. The relationship between the propagation of the body and the CSF pulsations suggests that the body movements produce an impulse on the spinal CSF.

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Microsatellite analyses across three diverse vertebrate transcriptomes (Acipenser fulvescens, Ambystoma tigrinum, and Dipodomys spectabilis)

Genome ◽

10.1139/gen-2013-0056 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 56 (7) ◽

pp. 407-414 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Jacqueline M. Doyle ◽

Gregor Siegmund ◽

Joseph D. Ruhl ◽

Soo Hyung Eo ◽

Matthew C. Hale ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lake Sturgeon ◽

Untranslated Regions ◽

Ambystoma Tigrinum ◽

Acipenser Fulvescens ◽

Data Sets ◽

Noncoding Dna ◽

Kangaroo Rats ◽

Tiger Salamanders ◽

Dipodomys Spectabilis ◽

In Silico Polymorphism

Historically, many population genetics studies have utilized microsatellite markers sampled at random from the genome and presumed to be selectively neutral. Recent studies, however, have shown that microsatellites can occur in transcribed regions, where they are more likely to be under selection. In this study, we mined microsatellites from transcriptomes generated by 454-pyrosequencing for three vertebrate species: lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum), and kangaroo rat (Dipodomys spectabilis). We evaluated (i) the occurrence of microsatellites across species; (ii) whether particular gene ontology terms were over-represented in genes that contained microsatellites; (iii) whether repeat motifs were located in untranslated regions or coding sequences of genes; and (iv) in silico polymorphism. Microsatellites were less common in tiger salamanders than in either lake sturgeon or kangaroo rats. Across libraries, trinucleotides were found more frequently than any other motif type, presumably because they do not cause frameshift mutations. By evaluating variation across reads assembled to a given contig, we were able to identify repeat motifs likely to be polymorphic. Our study represents one of the first comparative data sets on the distribution of vertebrate microsatellites within expressed genes. Our results reinforce the idea that microsatellites do not always occur in noncoding DNA, but commonly occur in expressed genes.

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Seasonal changes in the body surface temperature of Hanwoo (Bos taurus coreanae) steers

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an14150 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 54 (9) ◽

pp. 1476 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

N. Y. Kim ◽

S. J. Kim ◽

J. H. Park ◽

M. R. Oh ◽

S. Y. Jang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Surface Temperature ◽

Ambient Temperature ◽

Body Surface ◽

Seasonal Changes ◽

Bos Taurus ◽

The Body ◽

Body Regions ◽

Extreme Cold ◽

Body Surface Temperature ◽

Average Body

The present study aimed to gather basic information on measuring body surface temperature (BST) of cattle by using infrared thermography (IRT) and find out whether BST measurement is a useful method to detect thermal balance of livestock. Twenty-seven Hanwoo steers were examined in a field trial. The BST of five body regions (eye, nose, horn, ear, rear) was measured five times daily, with three replicates, during 3 days each season. Body surface temperature of cattle is directly affected by ambient temperature and humidity, and showed different ranges for each region. The BSTs of nose, horns and ears were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those of eyes and rear area. Rear-area BST was significantly lower than eye-area BST when the ambient temperature was low (P < 0.05). Eye BST (EBST) was highest (P < 0.05) and the least variable of all BSTs measured. Therefore, the eye area of cattle was the most thermostable part of the body. There were significant (P < 0.05) differences among seasonal EBSTs of steers. The EBST range was highest in the summer (37.9–42.2°C), followed by autumn (34.3–37.4°C), spring (33.8–36.5°C) and winter (29.8–32.6°C). During extreme cold, EBST showed a large standard deviation. During conditions of extreme heat, EBST was above the average body temperature of cattle. The results of the present study indicated that BST well reflects the thermal circumstances surrounding animals and may be used as one of the effective tools for precision cattle farming.

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Mechanisms of underwater hearing in larval and adult tiger salamanders ambystoma tigrinum

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A Physiology ◽

10.1016/0300-9629(83)90547-9 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 74 (3) ◽

pp. 555-559 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Thomas E. Hetherington ◽

R. Eric Lombard

Keyword(s):

Ambystoma Tigrinum ◽

Tiger Salamanders ◽

Underwater Hearing

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Discovering the forbidden Raman modes at the edges of layered materials

Science Advances ◽

10.1126/sciadv.aau6252 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4 (12) ◽

pp. eaau6252 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Yao Guo ◽

Weixuan Zhang ◽

Hanchun Wu ◽

Junfeng Han ◽

Yongliang Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Raman Spectra ◽

Electromagnetic Fields ◽

Scattered Light ◽

Layered Materials ◽

The Body ◽

Body Region ◽

Edge Type ◽

Body Regions ◽

Raman Modes ◽

Raman Study

The edges of layered materials have unique properties that substantially differ from the body regions. In this work, we perform a systematic Raman study of the edges of various layered materials (MoS2, WS2, WSe2, PtS2, and black phosphorus). The Raman spectra of the edges feature newly observed forbidden Raman modes, which are originally undetectable from the body region. By selecting the edge type and the polarization directions of the incident and scattered light, all forbidden Raman modes are distinctly detected. Optical simulations show that the edges of layered materials drastically distort the electromagnetic fields of both the incident and scattered light, so that the light interacts with the edges in a distinct way, which differs from its interactions with the body regions.

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Functional Electrical Stimulation Changes Dynamic Resources in Children With Spastic Cerebral Palsy

Physical Therapy ◽

10.1093/ptj/86.7.987 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 86 (7) ◽

pp. 987-1000 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Chia-Ling Ho ◽

Kenneth G Holt ◽

Elliot Saltzman ◽

Robert C Wagenaar

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Palsy ◽

Electrical Stimulation ◽

Functional Electrical Stimulation ◽

Stride Length ◽

The Body ◽

Stride Frequency ◽

Spastic Cerebral Palsy ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Muscle Complex ◽

Spring System

Abstract Background and Purpose. Children with cerebral palsy (CP) often are faced with difficulty in walking. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effects of functional electrical stimulation (FES) applied to the gastrocnemius-soleus muscle complex on the ability to produce appropriately timed force and reduce stiffness (elastic property of the body) and on stride length and stride frequency during walking. Subjects and Methods. Thirteen children with spastic CP (including 4 children who were dropped from the study due to their inability to cooperate) and 6 children who were developing typically participated in the study. A crossover study design was implemented. The children with spastic CP were randomly assigned to either a group that received FES for 15 trials followed by no FES for 15 trials or a group that received no FES for 15 trials followed by FES for 15 trials. The children who were having typical development walked without FES. Kinematic data were collected for the children with CP in each walking condition and for the children who were developing typically. Impulse (force-producing ability) and stiffness were estimated from an escapement-driven pendulum and spring system model of human walking. Stride length and stride frequency also were measured. To compare between walking conditions and between the children with CP and the children who were developing typically, dimensional analysis and speed normalization procedures were used. Results. Nonparametric statistics showed that there was no significant difference between the children with CP in the no-FES condition and the children who were developing typically on speed-normalized dimensionless impulse. In contrast, the children with CP in the FES condition had a significantly higher median value than the children who were developing typically. The FES significantly increased speed-normalized dimensionless impulse from 10.02 to 16.32 when comparing walking conditions for the children with CP. No significant differences were found between walking conditions for stiffness, stride length, and stride frequency. Discussion and Conclusion. The results suggest that FES is effective in increasing impulse during walking but not in decreasing stiffness. The effect on increasing impulse does not result in more typical spatiotemporal gait parameters. [Ho CL, Holt KG, Saltzman E, Wagenaar RC. Functional electrical stimulation changes dynamic resources in children with spastic cerebral palsy. Phys Ther. 2006;86:987–1000.]

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Single-host pathogen effects on mortality and behavioral responses to predators in salamanders (Urodela: Ambystomatidae)

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z04-127 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 82 (9) ◽

pp. 1477-1483 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Matthew J Parris ◽

Alison Davis ◽

James P Collins

Keyword(s):

Activity Level ◽

Ambystoma Tigrinum ◽

Predator Prey ◽

Host Behavior ◽

Anax Junius ◽

Tiger Salamanders ◽

Thermal Maximum ◽

Antipredator Responses ◽

Host Pathogen ◽

Single Host

Pathogens can alter host behavior and affect the outcome of predator-prey interactions. Acute phase responses of hosts (e.g., a change in activity level or behavioral fever) often signal an infection, but the ecological consequences of host behavioral changes largely are unexplored, particularly for directly transmitted (i.e., single-host) pathogens. We performed three experiments to test the hypothesis that a pathogen, Ambystoma tigrinum virus (ATV), alters host behavior of Sonoran tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum stebbinsi Lowe, 1954) and enhances predation. In the first experiment, salamander larvae exposed to ATV experienced 48% lower mortality from dragonfly Anax junius (Drury, 1773) larvae than those in controls. Second, uninfected and infected larvae exposed to the nonlethal (caged) presence of predators did not significantly differ in their distance from the predator. Infected salamanders significantly increased their activity level relative to those in controls in predator-free conditions. Finally, ATV-infected larvae preferred significantly warmer temperatures than uninfected larvae, but larvae reared at the thermal maximum for the virus all died. High host activity level yet retention of effective antipredator responses likely benefits ATV because this single-host pathogen relies on host survival for transmission. Preference for warmer temperatures may be associated with the host response to pathogens and may help fight infection.

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