Acrobatic squirrels learn to leap and land on tree branches without falling

doi:10.1126/science.abe5753

GSTDTAP > 气候变化

DOI	10.1126/science.abe5753
	Acrobatic squirrels learn to leap and land on tree branches without falling
	Nathaniel H. Hunt; Judy Jinn; Lucia F. Jacobs; Robert J. Full
	2021-08-06
发表期刊	Science
出版年	2021
英文摘要	Every day, there are acrobatic extravaganzas going on above our heads. Squirrels navigate remarkably complex and unpredictable environments as they leap from branch to branch, and mistakes can be fatal. These feats require a complex combination of evolved biomechanical adaptations and learned behaviors. Hunt et al. characterized the integration of these features in a series of experiments with free-living fox squirrels (see the Perspective by Adolph and Young). They found that the squirrels' remarkable and consistent success was due to a combination of learned impulse generation when assessing the balance between distance and branch flexibility and the addition of innovative leaps and landings in the face of increasingly difficult challenges. Science , abe5753, this issue p. [697][1]; see also abj6733, p. [620][2] Arboreal animals often leap through complex canopies to travel and avoid predators. Their success at making split-second, potentially life-threatening decisions of biomechanical capability depends on their skillful use of acrobatic maneuvers and learning from past efforts. Here, we found that free-ranging fox squirrels ( Sciurus niger ) leaping across unfamiliar, simulated branches decided where to launch by balancing a trade-off between gap distance and branch-bending compliance. Squirrels quickly learned to modify impulse generation upon repeated leaps from unfamiliar, compliant beams. A repertoire of agile landing maneuvers enabled targeted leaping without falling. Unanticipated adaptive landing and leaping “parkour” behavior revealed an innovative solution for particularly challenging leaps. Squirrels deciding and learning how to launch and land demonstrates the synergistic roles of biomechanics and cognition in robust gap-crossing strategies. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.abe5753 [2]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.abj6733
领域	气候变化 ; 资源环境
URL	查看原文
引用统计
文献类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.173/C666/handle/2XK7JSWQ/335583
专题	气候变化资源环境科学
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Nathaniel H. Hunt,Judy Jinn,Lucia F. Jacobs,et al. Acrobatic squirrels learn to leap and land on tree branches without falling[J]. Science,2021.
APA	Nathaniel H. Hunt,Judy Jinn,Lucia F. Jacobs,&Robert J. Full.(2021).Acrobatic squirrels learn to leap and land on tree branches without falling.Science.
MLA	Nathaniel H. Hunt,et al."Acrobatic squirrels learn to leap and land on tree branches without falling".Science (2021).