Avian flight is possible because of functional adaptations of the skeleton, musculature, and the integument in the form of feathers. Bird species with short wings have a greater stroke amplitude angle than bigger birds with longer wings. The m. pectoralis generates the downstroke and the m. supracoracoideus facilitates the upstroke. Striated muscle has a limited capacity for contraction so greater stroke amplitude angles could...

The Orthoptera are a diverse insect order well known for their locomotive capabilities. To jump, the bush-cricket uses a muscle actuated (MA) system in which leg extension is actuated by contraction of the femoral muscles of the hind legs. In comparison, the locust uses a latch mediated spring actuated (LaMSA) system, in which leg extension is actuated by the recoil of spring-like structure in the femur. The aim of this study...

Aim The laying of eggs and the building of a nest structure to accommodate them are two of the defining characteristics of members of the class Aves. Nest structures vary considerably across avian taxa and for many species the structure of the completed nest can have important consequences both for parents and their offspring. While nest characteristics are expected to vary adaptively in response to environmental conditions, l...