Brief Communications
Nature 434, 292 (17 March 2005) | doi:10.1038/434292a; Published online 16 March 2005
Biomechanics: Independent evolution of running in vampire bats
Daniel K. Riskin1 & John W. Hermanson1
Most tetrapods have retained terrestrial locomotion since it evolved in the Palaeozoic era1, 2, but bats have become so specialized for flight that they have almost lost the ability to manoeuvre on land at all3, 4. Vampire bats, which sneak up on their prey along the ground, are an important exception. Here we show that common vampire bats can also run by using a unique bounding gait, in which the forelimbs instead of the hindlimbs are recruited for force production as the wings are much more powerful than the legs. This ability to run seems to have evolved independently within the bat lineage.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
Correspondence to: Daniel K. Riskin1 Email: dkr8@cornell.edu
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