Birds land reliably on complex surfaces by adapting their foot-surface interactions upon contact

ELife
William Rt RoderickDavid Lentink

Abstract

Birds land on a wide range of complex surfaces, yet it is unclear how they grasp a perch reliably. Here, we show how Pacific parrotlets exhibit stereotyped leg and wing dynamics regardless of perch diameter and texture, but foot, toe, and claw kinematics become surface-specific upon touchdown. A new dynamic grasping model, which integrates our detailed measurements, reveals how birds stabilize their grasp. They combine predictable toe pad friction with probabilistic friction from their claws, which they drag to find surface asperities-dragging further when they can squeeze less. Remarkably, parrotlet claws can undergo superfast movements, within 1-2 ms, on moderately slippery surfaces to find more secure asperities when necessary. With this strategy, they first ramp up safety margins by squeezing before relaxing their grasp. The model further shows it is advantageous to be small for stable perching when high friction relative to normal force is required because claws can find more usable surface, but this trend reverses when required friction shrinks. This explains how many animals and robots may grasp complex surfaces reliably.

References

Aug 1, 1970·Acta Physiologica Scandinavica·F Buchthal, H Schmalbruch
Jan 1, 1984·Experimental Brain Research·G Westling, R S Johansson
Oct 1, 1993·Journal of Hand Therapy : Official Journal of the American Society of Hand Therapists·D BourbonnaisY Lepage
May 1, 1996·Journal of Neurophysiology·G Cadoret, A M Smith
Dec 18, 2002·Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part A, Molecular & Integrative Physiology·R McNeill Alexander
Dec 7, 2006·Biology Letters·Phillip L ManningRoland A Ennos
Sep 4, 2009·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Maria Magat, Culum Brown
Jun 26, 2012·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Hamidreza Marvi, David L Hu
Sep 14, 2012·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Pauline ProviniAnick Abourachid
Jan 5, 2013·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Diego SustaitaAnthony Herrel
May 24, 2014·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Pauline ProviniAnick Abourachid
Aug 22, 2014·Biology Letters·Greg Byrnes, Bruce C Jayne
May 21, 2016·Science·Mirko Kovac
Feb 7, 2017·Interface Focus·William R T RoderickDavid Lentink
Jun 1, 2017·Science Advances·Diana D Chin, David Lentink
Oct 11, 2017·Royal Society Open Science·Dagmar VoigtMichael Varenberg
Jan 14, 2018·Die Naturwissenschaften·Pauline Provini, Anick Abourachid
Oct 17, 2018·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Rivers Ingersoll, David Lentink

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations


❮ Previous
Next ❯

Software Mentioned

DLT
Matlab
SA

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Proceedings
A E Flatt
California Medicine
W L Bostick
The Journal of Nursing Administration
D Meyer
L' Orthodontie française
Supervisor Nurse
A Levenstein
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved