title: Hydrodynamic properties of fin whale flippers predict maximum rolling performance.
abstract: Maneuverability is one of the most important and least understood aspects of animal locomotion. The hydrofoil-like flippers of cetaceans are thought to function as control surfaces that effect maneuvers, but quantitative tests of this hypothesis have been lacking. Here, we constructed a simple hydrodynamic model to predict the longitudinal-axis roll performance of fin whales, and we tested its predictions against kinematic data recorded by on-board movement sensors from 27 free-swimming fin whales. We found that for a given swimming speed and roll excursion, the roll velocity of fin whales calculated from our field data agrees well with that predicted by our hydrodynamic model. Although fluke and body torsion may further influence performance, our results indicate that lift generated by the flippers is sufficient to drive most of the longitudinal-axis rolls used by fin whales for feeding and maneuvering.
authors: Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA psegre@stanford.edu.
authors: Paolo S
authors: 0000-0002-2396-2670
authors: PS
authors: Segre
authors: Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA.
authors: David E
authors: DE
authors: Cade
authors: Department of Biology, West Chester University, West Chester, PA 19383, USA.
authors: Frank E
authors: FE
authors: Fish
authors: Department of Physics, Saint Louis University, St Louis, MO 63103, USA.
authors: Jean
authors: J
authors: Potvin
authors: Cascadia Research Collective, 218 ½ W. 4th Avenue, Olympia, WA 98501, USA.
authors: Ann N
authors: AN
authors: Allen
authors: Cascadia Research Collective, 218 ½ W. 4th Avenue, Olympia, WA 98501, USA.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Calambokidis
authors: Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Marine Mammal Institute, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, OR 97365, USA.
authors: Ari S
authors: AS
authors: Friedlaender
authors: Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA.
authors: Jeremy A
authors: JA
authors: Goldbogen
mesh_terms: D000825:Animal Structures / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D050617:Fin Whale / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D008954:Models, Biological; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Fin whale; Kinematics; Maneuvering; Roll; Swimming