Muscle activity at the ilio‐sacral articulation of frogs

Abstract

Electromyographic recording indicates that the sequence of muscle firing around the ilio-sacral joint is similar for three species of frogs during locomotion, despite differences in gross morphology at the articulation. The ilio-sacral musculature is most active during the take-off phase of a jump, and there is a correlation between the degree of muscle activity and height of jump. This muscle activity is involved in aligning the center of mass of the frog with the direction of the propulsive force of the jump. The firing pattern of the ilio-sacral musculature is essentially similar during swimming and jumping, and suggests that differences in medium (water vs. air) are responsible for differences in propulsive thrust in the two types of locomotion.