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The effect of animal design on jumping performance
Author(s) -
Gabriel Julie M.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
journal of zoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0952-8369
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1984.tb02385.x
Subject(s) - jumping , jump , range (aeronautics) , biology , power (physics) , energy (signal processing) , work (physics) , energy requirement , statistics , zoology , mathematics , physics , physiology , engineering , thermodynamics , aerospace engineering , quantum mechanics , regression
Previous workers have shown that the jumping performance of small animals is limited by power requirements, while that of large animals is limited by energy requirements. This is confirmed here, and the theory is extended to include animals that store energy, prior to a jump. Factors affecting jump range for animals of different sizes are discussed. For animals that store energy, a power amplification factor may be calculated, if the animal's range, mass and leg length are known. Alternatively, range may be predicted for an animal of known design. Animals that show a marked increase in jump range with an increase in body size are probably energy storers. Summary The range of large jumping animals will be limited by their ability to produce energy. In order to jump further, a large animal would need to give over a greater proportion of its body mass to jumping muscle. Small animals will be limited by their ability to produce power, but this problem can be overcome by increasing the relative length of the jumping legs or by introducing an energy storage system. Animals showing increased range with increased body size probably use energy storage systems. My thanks are due to Dr H. C. Bennet‐Clark and Dr J. F. lles for supervision of this work, to Professor T. R. E. Southwood for accommodation in the Dept of Zoology, Oxford, and to the SERC for financial support.