Hind Foot Drumming: Muscle Architecture of the Hind Limb in Three Bathyergidae Species
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Hind Foot Drumming: Muscle Architecture of the Hind Limb in Three Bathyergidae Species L. Sahd 1 & N. C. Bennett 2 & S. H. Kotzé 1 Accepted: 14 October 2020 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract The relationship between muscle architectural properties and hind foot drumming of African mole-rats has yet to be determined using established methodology. Therefore, the internal structure of 32 hind limb muscles was evaluated in two drumming and one non-drumming species of Bathyergidae. The muscle mass (MM), fascicle length (Lf), and angle of pennation were measured to calculate the physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA) as well as estimate the maximum isometric force of contraction (Fmax). The most significant differences for the various muscle architecture parameters analyzed in synergistic muscle groups and individual muscles were observed between the rapid drumming Georychus capensis and the non-drumming Cryptomys hottentotus natalensis. The PCSA values of the hip extensors, hip adductors, knee extensors, and knee flexors of G. capensis were significantly larger than that of C. h. natalensis. Additionally, the hip extensors and knee flexors of both the drumming species (G. capensis and Bathyergus suillus) were shown to be capable of higher power output compared to the non-drumming species, and the hip adductors of G. capensis capable of faster contraction. M. gracilis anticus may play a key role in facilitating hind foot drumming as it was the only muscle to be significantly different in G. capensis and C. h. natalensis for all three muscle architecture parameters analyzed. Furthermore, it features in the high shortening capacity quadrant of the functional space plot of both G. capensis and B. suillus but not the non-drumming C. h. natalensis. Keywords Seismic signalling . Morphological adaptations . African mole-rats . Vibrational communication
Introduction Seismic signalling is a form of vibrational communication used by a variety of different vertebrate and invertebrate species (Hill 2009; Randall 2010). Seismic signals are transmitted through both the air and ground allowing them to travel long distances (Randall 2001). Foot drumming is one of the most common forms of seismic signalling. Foot drums are produced when the animal strikes the ground with either a single Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-020-09527-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * S. H. Kotzé [email protected] 1
Division of Clinical Anatomy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
2
Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
or alternating leg (Randall 2001). Bipedal hind foot drummers such as the kangaroo rat (Dipodomys spectabilis) balance on their tail while drumming their hind feet by flexion and extension
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