Locomotion Energetics of the Ghost Crab: II. Mechanics of the Centre of Mass During Walking and Running

Abstract

Terrestrial locomotion involving appendages has evolved independently in vertebrates and arthropods. Differences in the mechanical design of the locomotor apparatus could impose constraints on the energetics of locomotion. The mechanical energy fluctuations of the centre of mass of an arthropod, the ghost crab Ocypode quadrata (Fabricius), were examined by integrating the ground reaction forces exerted during sideways locomotion. Crabs used a pendulum-type energy exchange mechanism during walking, analogous to an egg rolling end over end, with the same effectiveness as birds and mammals. Moreover, ghost crabs were found to have two running gaits. A switch from a slow to a fast run occurred at the same speed and stride frequency predicted for the trot-gallop transition of a quadrupedal mammal of the same body mass. In addition, the mass-specific mechanical energy developed over a unit distance was independent of speed and was within the limits measured for birds and mammals. Despite the obvious differences in mechanical design between crabs and mammals, energy-conserving mechanisms and the efficiency of locomotion were remarkably similar. These similarities may result from the fact that the muscles that generate forces during terrestrial locomotion have relatively conservative mechanical and energetic properties.