Beakiation: how a novel parrot gait expands the locomotor repertoire of living birds
Occupation of arboreal habitats poses myriad locomotor challenges, driving both anatomical and behavioural innovations across various tetrapod lineages. Here, we report and biomechanically assess a novel, beak-driven locomotor mode—‘beakiation’—by which parrots advance along the underside of narrow...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Royal Society
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
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| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.231397 |
| _version_ | 1827368451046375424 |
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| author | Edwin Dickinson Melody W. Young Michael C. Granatosky |
| author_facet | Edwin Dickinson Melody W. Young Michael C. Granatosky |
| author_sort | Edwin Dickinson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Occupation of arboreal habitats poses myriad locomotor challenges, driving both anatomical and behavioural innovations across various tetrapod lineages. Here, we report and biomechanically assess a novel, beak-driven locomotor mode—‘beakiation’—by which parrots advance along the underside of narrow arboreal substrates. Using high-speed videography and kinetic analyses, we describe the limb loading patterns and pendular mechanics of beakiation, and compare the biomechanical characteristics of this gait with other suspensory behaviours (namely, forelimb-driven brachiation and inverted quadrupedal walking). We report that the parrot beak experiences comparable force magnitudes (approx. 150% body weight in the normal plane; approx. 50% body weight in the fore–aft plane) to the forelimbs of brachiating primates. Parrot beakiation is also characterized by longer-than-expected pendular periods, similar to observations of gibbon brachiation. However, in terms of mechanical energy recovery, beakiation is typified by lower levels of energetic recovery than brachiating specialists: a product of its slower, more careful nature. The observation of this novel behaviour—which adds to a growing base of literature regarding beak-assisted locomotor strategies in birds—highlights the extraordinary behavioural plasticity of birds, the functional versatility of the avian beak, and the difficulties in reconstructing an animal's locomotor repertoire from morphological characteristics alone. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:31:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1ed94c87239c42088c892a9fdfbf4dd5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:31:38Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-1ed94c87239c42088c892a9fdfbf4dd52024-01-31T00:05:54ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032024-01-0111110.1098/rsos.231397Beakiation: how a novel parrot gait expands the locomotor repertoire of living birdsEdwin Dickinson0Melody W. Young1Michael C. Granatosky2Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, NY, USADepartment of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, NY, USADepartment of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, NY, USAOccupation of arboreal habitats poses myriad locomotor challenges, driving both anatomical and behavioural innovations across various tetrapod lineages. Here, we report and biomechanically assess a novel, beak-driven locomotor mode—‘beakiation’—by which parrots advance along the underside of narrow arboreal substrates. Using high-speed videography and kinetic analyses, we describe the limb loading patterns and pendular mechanics of beakiation, and compare the biomechanical characteristics of this gait with other suspensory behaviours (namely, forelimb-driven brachiation and inverted quadrupedal walking). We report that the parrot beak experiences comparable force magnitudes (approx. 150% body weight in the normal plane; approx. 50% body weight in the fore–aft plane) to the forelimbs of brachiating primates. Parrot beakiation is also characterized by longer-than-expected pendular periods, similar to observations of gibbon brachiation. However, in terms of mechanical energy recovery, beakiation is typified by lower levels of energetic recovery than brachiating specialists: a product of its slower, more careful nature. The observation of this novel behaviour—which adds to a growing base of literature regarding beak-assisted locomotor strategies in birds—highlights the extraordinary behavioural plasticity of birds, the functional versatility of the avian beak, and the difficulties in reconstructing an animal's locomotor repertoire from morphological characteristics alone.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.231397exaptationinnovationsuspensory locomotionbiomechanicsbrachiationAgapornis roseicollis |
| spellingShingle | Edwin Dickinson Melody W. Young Michael C. Granatosky Beakiation: how a novel parrot gait expands the locomotor repertoire of living birds Royal Society Open Science exaptation innovation suspensory locomotion biomechanics brachiation Agapornis roseicollis |
| title | Beakiation: how a novel parrot gait expands the locomotor repertoire of living birds |
| title_full | Beakiation: how a novel parrot gait expands the locomotor repertoire of living birds |
| title_fullStr | Beakiation: how a novel parrot gait expands the locomotor repertoire of living birds |
| title_full_unstemmed | Beakiation: how a novel parrot gait expands the locomotor repertoire of living birds |
| title_short | Beakiation: how a novel parrot gait expands the locomotor repertoire of living birds |
| title_sort | beakiation how a novel parrot gait expands the locomotor repertoire of living birds |
| topic | exaptation innovation suspensory locomotion biomechanics brachiation Agapornis roseicollis |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.231397 |
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