Journal article
Energetic costs of locomotion in bears: is plantigrade locomotion energetically economical?
Journal of experimental biology, Vol.221(Pt 12), pp.jeb175372-jeb175372
06/19/2018
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/112088
PMID: 29921569
Abstract
Ursids are the largest mammals to retain a plantigrade posture. This primitive posture has been proposed to result in reduced locomotor speed and economy relative to digitigrade and unguligrade species, particularly at high speeds. Previous energetics research on polar bears (
) found locomotor costs were more than double predictions for similarly sized quadrupedal mammals, which could be a result of their plantigrade posture or due to adaptations to their Arctic marine existence. To evaluate whether polar bears are representative of terrestrial ursids or distinctly uneconomical walkers, this study measured the mass-specific metabolism, overall dynamic body acceleration, and gait kinematics of polar bears and grizzly bears (
) trained to rest and walk on a treadmill. At routine walking speeds, we found polar bears and grizzly bears exhibited similar costs of locomotion and gait kinematics, but differing measures of overall dynamic body acceleration. Minimum cost of transport while walking in the two species (2.21 J kg
m
) was comparable to predictions for similarly sized quadrupedal mammals, but these costs doubled (4.42 J kg
m
) at speeds ≥5.4 km h
Similar to humans, another large plantigrade mammal, bears appear to exhibit a greater economy while moving at slow speeds.
Metrics
8 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Energetic costs of locomotion in bears: is plantigrade locomotion energetically economical?
- Creators
- Anthony M Pagano - Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USAAnthony M Carnahan - School of the Environment and School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USACharles T Robbins - School of the Environment and School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USAMegan A Owen - Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, CA 92027, USATammy Batson - San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, CA 92027, USANate Wagner - San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, CA 92027, USAAmy Cutting - Oregon Zoo, Portland, OR 97221, USANicole Nicassio-Hiskey - Oregon Zoo, Portland, OR 97221, USAAmy Hash - Oregon Zoo, Portland, OR 97221, USATerrie M Williams - Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
- Publication Details
- Journal of experimental biology, Vol.221(Pt 12), pp.jeb175372-jeb175372
- Academic Unit
- Environment, School of the (CAHNRS)
- Publisher
- England
- Identifiers
- 99900547736901842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article