title: A general law for animal locomotion?
abstract: The propulsion system of animals that fly or swim are quite different from each other in their morphology and function, yet the propulsive efficiency could be maximized by a surprising similarity in the fine tuning of flapping frequency, amplitude and forward speed, according to a new study by Taylor et al. This conclusion was based on an analysis of the Strouhal number, which is a dynamic similarity index relevant to propulsion that relies on vortex shedding for thrust generation. Such fine-tuning of the propulsive system suggests possible consequences for physiological and ecological adaptations related to, for example muscle operating frequency and optimal speed of muscle contraction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Theoretical Ecology, Lund University, Ecology Building, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden. Anders.Hedenstrom@teorekol.lu.se
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hedenström