83 results on '"Vincent Bels"'
Search Results
2. Variation in the sacroiliac joint in Felidae
- Author
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Jean-Pierre Pallandre, Franck Lavenne, Eric Pellé, Grégory Breton, Mélina Ribaud, and Vincent Bels
- Subjects
Felidae ,Ilium ,Evolution ,Pelvis ,Sacroiliac junction ,Predatory behavior ,Medicine ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 - Abstract
Felidae species show a great diversity in their diet, foraging and hunting strategies, from small to large prey. Whether they belong to solitary or group hunters, the behavior of cats to subdue resisting small or large prey presents crucial differences. It is assumed that pack hunting reduces the per capita risk of each individual. We hypothesize that the sacroiliac articulation plays a key role in stabilizing the predator while subduing and killing prey. Using CT-scan from 59 felid coxal bones, we calculated the angle between both iliac articular surfaces. Correlation of this inter-iliac angle with body size was calculated and ecological stressors were evaluated on inter-iliac angle. Body size significantly influences inter-iliac angle with small cats having a wider angle than big cats. Arboreal species have a significantly larger angle compared to cursorial felids with the smallest value, and to scansorial and terrestrial species with intermediate angles. Felids hunting large prey have a smaller angle than felids hunting small and mixed prey. Within the Panthera lineage, pack hunters (lions) have a larger angle than all other species using solitary hunting strategy. According to the inter-iliac angle, two main groups of felids are determined: (i) predators with an angle of around 40° include small cats (i.e., Felis silvestris, Leopardus wiedii, Leptailurus serval, Lynx Canadensis, L. rufus; median = 43.45°), the only pack-hunting species (i.e., Panthera leo; median = 37.90°), and arboreal cats (i.e., L. wiedii, Neofelis nebulosa; median = 49.05°), (ii) predators with an angle of around 30° include solitary-hunting big cats (i.e., Acinonyx jubatus, P. onca, P. pardus, P. tigris, P. uncia; median = 31.80°). We suggest different pressures of selection to interpret these results. The tightening of the iliac wings around the sacrum probably enhances big cats’ ability for high speed and large prey control. In contrast, pack hunting in lions reduced the selective pressure for large prey.
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Methods and Experimental Protocols to Design a Simulated Bio-Mimetic Quadruped Robot
- Author
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Hadi El Daou, Paul-Antoine Libourel, Sabine Renous, Vincent Bels, and Jean-Claude Guinot
- Subjects
Electronics ,TK7800-8360 ,Electronic computers. Computer science ,QA75.5-76.95 - Abstract
Abstract This paper presents a bio-mimetic approach to design and simulate a tortoise-like virtual robot. This study takes a multidisciplinary approach: from in vivo and in vitro experiments on animals, data are collected and used to design, control and simulate a bio-mimetic virtual robot using MD ADAMS platform. From the in vitro experiments, the geometrical and inertial properties of body limbs are measured, and a model of tortoise kinematics is derived. From the in vivo experiments the contact forces between each limb and the ground are measured. The contributions of hind and forelimbs in the generation of propelling and braking forces are studied. The motion of the joints between limb segments are recorded and used to solve the inverse kinematics problem. A virtual model of a tortoise-like robot is built; it is a linkage of 15 rigid bodies articulated by 22 degrees of freedom. This model is referred to as TATOR II. It has the inertial and geometrical properties measured during the in vitro experiments. TATOR II motion is achieved using a Proportional-Derivative controller copying the joint angle trajectories calculated from the in vivo experiments.
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. Chemical basis of prey recognition in thamnophiine snakes: the unexpected new roles of parvalbumins.
- Author
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Maïté Smargiassi, Gheylen Daghfous, Baptiste Leroy, Pierre Legreneur, Gerard Toubeau, Vincent Bels, and Ruddy Wattiez
- Subjects
Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Detecting and locating prey are key to predatory success within trophic chains. Predators use various signals through specialized visual, olfactory, auditory or tactile sensory systems to pinpoint their prey. Snakes chemically sense their prey through a highly developed auxiliary olfactory sense organ, the vomeronasal organ (VNO). In natricine snakes that are able to feed on land and water, the VNO plays a critical role in predatory behavior by detecting cues, known as vomodors, which are produced by their potential prey. However, the chemical nature of these cues remains unclear. Recently, we demonstrated that specific proteins-parvalbumins-present in the cutaneous mucus of the common frog (Rana temporaria) may be natural chemoattractive proteins for these snakes. Here, we show that parvalbumins and parvalbumin-like proteins, which are mainly intracellular, are physiologically present in the epidermal mucous cells and mucus of several frog and fish genera from both fresh and salt water. These proteins are located in many tissues and function as Ca(2+) buffers. In addition, we clarified the intrinsic role of parvalbumins present in the cutaneous mucus of amphibians and fishes. We demonstrate that these Ca(2+)-binding proteins participate in innate bacterial defense mechanisms by means of calcium chelation. We show that these parvalbumins are chemoattractive for three different thamnophiine snakes, suggesting that these chemicals play a key role in their prey-recognition mechanism. Therefore, we suggest that recognition of parvalbumin-like proteins or other calcium-binding proteins by the VNO could be a generalized prey-recognition process in snakes. Detecting innate prey defense mechanism compounds may have driven the evolution of this predator-prey interaction.
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Should Mobile Robots Have a Head? - A Rationale Based on Behavior, Automatic Control and Signal Processing.
- Author
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François Bailly, Emmanuelle Pouydebat, Bruno Watier, Vincent Bels, and Philippe Souères
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Predator-prey interactions paradigm: a new tool for artificial intelligence.
- Author
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Pierre Legreneur, Michel Laurin, and Vincent Bels
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. Convergent exaptation of leap up for escape in distantly related arboreal amniotes.
- Author
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Pierre Legreneur, Michel Laurin, Karine M. Monteil, and Vincent Bels
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Mechanics and kinematics of fluid uptake and intraoral transport in the leopard gecko
- Author
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Stéphane J. Montuelle, Anthony P. Russell, Kenneth V. Kardong, Vincent Bels, Jean-Pierre Pallandre, and Heather A. Jamniczky
- Subjects
biology ,Biomechanics ,Leopard gecko ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Gecko ,Kinematics ,Anatomy ,biology.organism_classification ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics - Published
- 2020
9. Variation in the sacroiliac joint in Felidae
- Author
-
Mélina Ribaud, Eric Pellé, Grégory Breton, Vincent Bels, Jean-Pierre Pallandre, Franck Lavenne, Gestionnaire, HAL Sorbonne Université 5, Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB ), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université des Antilles (UA), Centre d'Etude et de Recherche Multimodal Et Pluridisciplinaire en imagerie du vivant (CERMEP - imagerie du vivant), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-CHU Grenoble-Hospices Civils de Lyon (HCL)-CHU Saint-Etienne-Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne (UJM)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA), Institut des sciences biologiques (INSB-CNRS), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN), Panthera, Biostatistique et Processus Spatiaux (BioSP), Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-CHU Grenoble-Hospices Civils de Lyon (HCL)-CHU Saint-Etienne-Université Jean Monnet [Saint-Étienne] (UJM)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA), and INSB
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Arboreal locomotion ,Felidae ,Evolution ,Foraging ,Zoology ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Cursorial ,Sacroiliac junction ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,Predation ,Pelvis ,Ilium ,03 medical and health sciences ,biology.animal ,Acinonyx jubatus ,Leopardus wiedii ,030304 developmental biology ,0303 health sciences ,biology ,General Neuroscience ,Felis ,General Medicine ,15. Life on land ,Predatory behavior ,biology.organism_classification ,Evolutionary Studies ,[SDE.BE] Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology ,Medicine ,[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology ,Panthera ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,Locomotion - Abstract
Felidae species show a great diversity in their diet, foraging and hunting strategies, from small to large prey. Whether they belong to solitary or group hunters, the behavior of cats to subdue resisting small or large prey presents crucial differences. It is assumed that pack hunting reduces the per capita risk of each individual. We hypothesize that the sacroiliac articulation plays a key role in stabilizing the predator while subduing and killing prey. Using CT-scan from 59 felid coxal bones, we calculated the angle between both iliac articular surfaces. Correlation of this inter-iliac angle with body size was calculated and ecological stressors were evaluated on inter-iliac angle. Body size significantly influences inter-iliac angle with small cats having a wider angle than big cats. Arboreal species have a significantly larger angle compared to cursorial felids with the smallest value, and to scansorial and terrestrial species with intermediate angles. Felids hunting large prey have a smaller angle than felids hunting small and mixed prey. Within the Panthera lineage, pack hunters (lions) have a larger angle than all other species using solitary hunting strategy. According to the inter-iliac angle, two main groups of felids are determined: (i) predators with an angle of around 40° include small cats (i.e., Felis silvestris, Leopardus wiedii, Leptailurus serval, Lynx Canadensis, L. rufus; median = 43.45°), the only pack-hunting species (i.e., Panthera leo; median = 37.90°), and arboreal cats (i.e., L. wiedii, Neofelis nebulosa; median = 49.05°), (ii) predators with an angle of around 30° include solitary-hunting big cats (i.e., Acinonyx jubatus, P. onca, P. pardus, P. tigris, P. uncia; median = 31.80°). We suggest different pressures of selection to interpret these results. The tightening of the iliac wings around the sacrum probably enhances big cats’ ability for high speed and large prey control. In contrast, pack hunting in lions reduced the selective pressure for large prey.
- Published
- 2021
10. Feeding, a Tool to Understand Vertebrate Evolution Introduction to 'Feeding in Vertebrates'
- Author
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Vincent Bels, Anthony Herrel, Adaptations et évolution des systèmes ostéomusculaires (AESO), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN), and Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)
- Subjects
biology ,Extant taxon ,Conceptual framework ,Evolutionary biology ,biology.animal ,Darwin (ADL) ,[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] ,Vertebrate ,ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS ,Origin of species - Abstract
A major problem of evolution addressed by Darwin, in his Origin of Species (Darwin in On the origin of species. John Murray, London, 1859) is the evolutionary relationship between complex structures and their function, colloquially referred to as form–function relationships. Many of the insights that Darwin contributed to our conceptual framework of evolution are based on careful observations of traits in diverse fossil and extant vertebrates.
- Published
- 2019
11. Behavior of Lizards
- Author
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Vincent Bels and Anthony Russell
- Subjects
Evolutionary biology ,Biology - Published
- 2019
12. Predatory Behavior in Lizards
- Author
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Emeline Paulet, Emilie Van Gysel, Anthony P. Russell, Stéphane J. Montuelle, Leïla-Nastasia Zghikh, Vincent Bels, Anne-Sophie Paindavoine, Sébastien Charlier, Jean-Pierre Pallandre, Aurélie Maillard, Christophe Rémy, and Pierre Legreneur
- Subjects
Predatory behavior ,Zoology ,Biology - Published
- 2019
13. Feeding in Lizards: Form–Function and Complex Multifunctional System
- Author
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Leïla-Nastasia Zghikh, Emeline Paulet, Jean-Pierre Pallandre, Vincent Bels, Anne-Sophie Paindavoine, and Stéphane J. Montuelle
- Subjects
Feeding behavior ,Evolutionary biology ,Tetrapod (structure) ,Biology ,Function (biology) ,Predation - Abstract
Living lizards exploit almost all terrestrial ecosystems where they play the roles of both predator and prey in complex food webs. Bels et al. (Biomechanics of feeding in Vertebrates, 197–240, 1994) and Schwenk (Feeding: form, function and evolution in Tetrapod Vertebrates, 459–485, 2000) provided first detailed overviews about the anatomical and functional traits of the feeding stages and phases of the feeding cycle in these tetrapods. Here, we synthesize recent literature in order to provide discussion of the evolution of their feeding behavior from capture to swallowing.
- Published
- 2019
14. Iliac auricular surface morphofunctional study in felidae
- Author
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Marie-Ange Placide, Franck Lavenne, Vincent Bels, Raphaël Cornette, Mélina Ribaud, Vincent Abad, Eric Pellé, Jean-Pierre Pallandre, Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB ), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université des Antilles (UA), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN), Centre d'Etude et de Recherche Multimodal Et Pluridisciplinaire en imagerie du vivant (CERMEP - imagerie du vivant), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-CHU Grenoble-Hospices Civils de Lyon (HCL)-CHU Saint-Etienne-Université Jean Monnet [Saint-Étienne] (UJM)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA), Probabilités, statistique, physique mathématique (PSPM), Institut Camille Jordan [Villeurbanne] (ICJ), École Centrale de Lyon (ECL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université Jean Monnet [Saint-Étienne] (UJM)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon (INSA Lyon), Université de Lyon-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-École Centrale de Lyon (ECL), Université de Lyon-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Adaptations et évolution des systèmes ostéomusculaires (AESO), and Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,0301 basic medicine ,Felidae ,Evolution ,[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] ,Hindlimb ,Biology ,Motor Activity ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Predation ,Pelvis ,Ilium ,03 medical and health sciences ,Species Specificity ,medicine ,Auricular surface ,Animals ,CATS ,Junction ,Sacroiliac ,Sacroiliac Joint ,Anatomy ,Skeleton (computer programming) ,Biomechanical Phenomena ,Spine (zoology) ,Skull ,030104 developmental biology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Joint stiffness ,Predatory Behavior ,Animal Science and Zoology ,medicine.symptom ,Locomotion - Abstract
International audience; Felids show remarkable phenotypic similarities and are conservative in behavioral and ecological traits. In contrast, they display a large range in body mass from around 1kg to more than 300kg. Body size and locomotory specializations correlate to skull, limb and vertebral skeleton morphology. With an increase in body mass, felids prey selection switches from small to large, from using a rapid skull or spine lethal bite for small prey, to sustained suffocating bite for large prey. Dietary specialization correlates to skull and front limbs morphology but no correlation was found on the spine or on the hind limb. The morphology of the sacroiliac junction in relation to ecological factors remained to be described. We are presenting a study of the overall shape of the iliac auricular surface with qualitative and quantitative analyses of its morphology. Our results demonstrate that body mass, prey selection, and bite type, crucially influence the auricular surface, where no significant effect of locomotor specialization was found. The outline of the surface is significantly more elevated dorso-caudally and the joint surface shows an irregular W-shape topography in big cats whereas the surface in small cats is smoother with a C-shape topography and less of an elevated ridge. Biomechanically, we suggest that a complex auricular surface increases joint stiffness and provides more support in heavier cats, an advantage for subduing big prey successfully during a sustained bite.
- Published
- 2018
15. Feeding in Vertebrates : Evolution, Morphology, Behavior, Biomechanics
- Author
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Vincent Bels, Ian Q. Whishaw, Vincent Bels, and Ian Q. Whishaw
- Subjects
- Vertebrates, Evolution (Biology), Vertebrates--Food, Vertebrates--Evolution, Vertebrates--Behavior--Evolution
- Abstract
This book provides students and researchers with reviews of biological questions related to the evolution of feeding by vertebrates in aquatic and terrestrial environments. Based on recent technical developments and novel conceptual approaches, the book covers functional questions on trophic behavior in nearly all vertebrate groups including jawless fishes. The book describes mechanisms and theories for understanding the relationships between feeding structure and feeding behavior. Finally, the book demonstrates the importance of adopting an integrative approach to the trophic system in order to understand evolutionary mechanisms across the biodiversity of vertebrates.
- Published
- 2019
16. Behavior of Lizards : Evolutionary and Mechanistic Perspectives
- Author
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Vincent Bels, Anthony Russell, Vincent Bels, and Anthony Russell
- Subjects
- Lizards--Behavior--Evolution, Lizards--Adaptation
- Abstract
Key features:Presents a contemporary snapshot of the mechanisms underlying the evolution and adaptation of behaviorExplores how genetics, epigenetics, development, and environment shape behavior Discusses a broad range of behavioral repertoires and responses, including those related to thermoregulatory, foraging, predatory, displaying, social and escape strategies. Examines physiological and sensory mechanismsCovers the effects of various aspects of global change on behavior, with chapters that focus on the impacts of climate change on hydroregulatory behavior and behavioral responses to the effects of habitat alteration resulting from human-mediated change and colonization by invasive species.Lizards serve as focal organisms for many of biological questions related to evolution, ecology, physiology, and morphology. They are studied at multiple spatial and temporal scales, from the individual to the community level. This book, authored by expert contributors from around the world, explores behaviors underlying the evolution and adaptation of these organisms. It covers conceptual, empirical, and methodological approaches to the understanding of the role that natural and sexual selection play in molding the behavioral traits of lizards. This thorough, illustrated reference should stimulate discussion of the conceptual and methodological approaches for studying the behavioral traits of these fascinating and highly diverse vertebrates.
- Published
- 2019
17. Dynamics of prey prehension by chameleons through viscous adhesion
- Author
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Fabian Brau, Vincent Bels, Pascal Damman, Déborah Lanterbecq, and Leïla-Nastasia Zghikh
- Subjects
030110 physiology ,0301 basic medicine ,Physics ,Physique ,business.industry ,Mécanique des fluides ,Dynamics (mechanics) ,General Physics and Astronomy ,Mécanique ,02 engineering and technology ,Adhesion ,Mechanics ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Rhéologie ,Predation ,03 medical and health sciences ,Viscosity ,Optics ,0210 nano-technology ,business ,Contact area ,Elasticité - Abstract
Among predators using an adhesive tongue to feed, chameleons are able to capture large prey by projecting the tongue at high acceleration. Once in contact with a prey, the tongue retracts with a comparable acceleration to bring it to the mouth. A strong adhesion between the tongue tip and the prey is therefore required during the retraction phase to ensure a successful capture. To investigate the mechanism responsible for this strong bond, the viscosity of the mucus produced at the chameleon's tongue pad is measured, using the viscous drag exerted on rolling beads by a thin layer of mucus. Here we show that the viscosity of this secretion is about 400 times larger than that of human saliva. We incorporate this viscosity into a dynamical model for viscous adhesion, which describes the motion of the compliant tongue and the prey during the retraction phase. The variation of the maximum prey size with respect to the chameleon body length is derived, and compared with in vivo observations for various chameleon species. Our study shows that the size of the captured prey is not limited by viscous adhesion, owing to the high mucus viscosity and large contact area between the prey and the tongue., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published
- Published
- 2016
18. The Function of Oscillatory Tongue-Flicks in Snakes: Insights from Kinematics of Tongue-Flicking in the Banded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata)
- Author
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Gheylen Daghfous, Maïté Smargiassi, Paul-Antoine Libourel, Ruddy Wattiez, and Vincent Bels
- Subjects
Colubrid snake ,Vomeronasal organ ,Physiology ,Sensory system ,Kinematics ,Biology ,Behavioral Neuroscience ,Chemical stimuli ,Tongue ,Physiology (medical) ,medicine ,Animals ,business.industry ,Colubridae ,Pattern recognition ,Function (mathematics) ,Anatomy ,Sensory Systems ,Biomechanical Phenomena ,Smell ,Nerodia ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Artificial intelligence ,Vomeronasal Organ ,business - Abstract
Tongue-flicking is an important sensory behavior unique to squamate reptiles in which chemical stimuli gathered by the tongue are delivered the vomeronasal organ situated in the roof of the mouth. Because tongue-flick numbers can easily be quantified, this behavior has been widely used as a measure of vomeronasal sampling in snakes using related variables such as tongue-flick rate or tongue-flick/attack score. Surprisingly, the behavior itself and especially the function of the oscillatory tongue-flicks remains poorly understood. To describe the overall kinematics of tongue-flicking in the colubrid snake Nerodia fasciata and to test predictions on the function of oscillatory tongue-flicks, we filmed the tongue-flicks of 8 adult Nerodia fasciata using 4 synchronized high-speed cameras. Three-dimensional kinematic and performance variables were extracted from the videos in order to quantify tongue movements. Based on the kinematic analysis, we demonstrate the existence of 2 functional and behavioral tongue-flick categories. Tongue-flicks with oscillations meet all the criteria for being adapted to the collection of odorants; simple downward extensions appear better suited for the rapid pick up of nonvolatile chemical stimuli from the substrate or a food item. External stimuli such as tactile and/or vomeronasal stimulation can induce a shift between these categories.
- Published
- 2012
19. Hand posture in the grey mouse lemur during arboreal locomotion on narrow branches
- Author
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Emmanuelle Pouydebat, E. Reghem, Vincent Bels, and Craig D. Byron
- Subjects
Arboreal locomotion ,Microcebus murinus ,Biomechanics ,Context (language use) ,Anatomy ,Biology ,Wrist ,biology.organism_classification ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Strepsirrhini ,Forearm ,medicine ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Ulnar deviation ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics - Abstract
Primates are typically subdivided into two fundamentally different groups: Strepsirrhini and Haplorrhini. These two suborders are differentiated by several anatomical characteristics, among which are features of the wrist and hand. Whereas strepsirrhines are characterized by an ectaxonic hand with a longer fourth digit, haplorhines display a mesaxonic hand with a longer third digit. Two complementary studies suggest that (1) an ulnarly deviated hand with respect to the forearm during locomotion is typical for ectaxonic hands and thin branches whereas mesaxonic hands display a less-deviated posture in relation to a more terrestrial type of locomotion; (2) ulnar deviations are not always produced by ectaxonic hands and may rather be associated with locomotion in an arboreal environment. The aim of this study was to explore how arboreal substrates influence the posture of the hand and the wrist in contact with the substrate. In this context, we assessed the grasping ability of the strepsirrhine Microcebus murinus, a highly arboreal species. Here we tested the effect of branch diameter (1 and 3 cm) and orientation (horizontal and vertical) on grasp choice during arboreal locomotion. Our results show that two hand postures were observed on horizontal substrates versus three-hand postures on vertical substrates. When ulnar deviation was observed, it was typically observed on vertical substrates, particularly on thick ones. In conclusion, our data show that vertical substrates increase the variability in grasping hand postures for M. murinus and include the use of uncommon grasps compared with horizontal substrates. We suggest that more than the arboreal substrate, the frequent use of vertical supports may influence the hand biomechanics towards ulnar deviation as observed for lorisids and indriids.
- Published
- 2012
20. Assessment of the mass, length, center of mass, and principal moment of inertia of body segments in adult males of the brown anole (Anolis sagrei) and green, or carolina, anole (Anolis carolinensis)
- Author
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Pierre Legreneur, Dominique G. Homberger, and Vincent Bels
- Subjects
Male ,Zoology ,Context (language use) ,medicine.disease_cause ,Anolis ,Running ,Jumping ,Adaptive radiation ,medicine ,Animals ,Ecology ,biology ,Extremities ,Lizards ,Brown anole ,biology.organism_classification ,Adaptation, Physiological ,Biological Evolution ,Biomechanical Phenomena ,Hindlimb ,Predatory Behavior ,Crypsis ,Radius of gyration ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Carolina anole ,Locomotion ,Developmental Biology - Abstract
This study provides a morphometric data set of body segments that are biomechanically relevant for locomotion in two ecomorphs of adult male anoles, namely, the trunk-ground Anolis sagrei and the trunk-crown Anolis carolinensis. For each species, 10 segments were characterized, and for each segment, length, mass, location of the center of mass, and radius of gyration were measured or calculated, respectively. The radii of gyration were computed from the moments of inertia by using the double swing pendulum method. The trunk-ground A. sagrei has relatively longer and stockier hindlimbs and forelimbs with smaller body than A. carolinensis. These differences between the two ecomorphs demonstrated a clear relationship between morphology and performance, particularly in the context of predator avoidance behavior, such as running or jumping in A. sagrei and crypsis in A. carolinensis. Our results provide new perspectives on the mechanism of adaptive radiation as the limbs of the two species appear to scale via linear factors and, therefore, may also provide explanations for the mechanism of evolutionary changes of structures within an ecological context.
- Published
- 2012
21. Predator–prey interactions paradigm: a new tool for artificial intelligence
- Author
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Vincent Bels, Michel Laurin, and Pierre Legreneur
- Subjects
Cognitive science ,education.field_of_study ,Computer science ,Ecomorphology ,Ecology (disciplines) ,Population ,Experimental and Cognitive Psychology ,Ecology and Evolutionary Biology ,Behavioral Neuroscience ,Phylogenetics ,Behavioral ecology ,Evolutionary ecology ,Adaptation ,education - Abstract
Predator–prey interactions are probably one of the key mechanisms for explaining the evolution of organisms in their ecosystems. Scientific fields relevant to understanding the mechanisms of these interactions are as diverse as evolutionary biology, behavioral ecology, ecomorphology, molecular biology, phylogeny, neurosciences, physiology, biomechanics, and robotics. The difficulty in understanding these mechanisms lies therefore (1) in the multi- and interdisciplinary nature of this issue, and (2) in keeping up with very rapid developments in various scientific fields. This Special Issue provides an interdisciplinary approach to predator–prey interactions to identify how phenotypic traits of both types of organisms interact and how each can act as a selective pressure on the evolution of a population of organisms at the different levels of the trophic chain. Moreover, we show that confronting bodies of knowledge that a priori appear as remote as those of robotics and experimental biology or ecology may seem difficult but can provide reciprocal understanding.
- Published
- 2012
22. Prey capture in lizards: differences in jaw-neck-forelimb coordination
- Author
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Stéphane J. Montuelle, Anthony Herrel, Vincent Bels, Sandra Daillie, and Paul-Antoine Libourel
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,0303 health sciences ,biology ,Prey capture ,Varanus niloticus ,Anatomy ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Predation ,03 medical and health sciences ,Tupinambis merianae ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,medicine ,Adaptation ,Forelimb ,Gerrhosaurus major ,Jaw opening ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,030304 developmental biology - Abstract
607..622 Although prey capture is thought to be based on the coordinated movements of the jaw and locomotor apparatus (i.e. the vertebral column and the limbs), jaw–neck–forelimb coordination has never been compared among related species. The kinematics of jaw, neck, and forelimb movements were recorded in lizards that use jaw prehension: Gerrhosaurus major, Tupinambis merianae, Varanus niloticus, and Varanus ornatus. These species provide a comparative framework to discuss the influence of morphological differences and ecological convergence on the jaw–neck–forelimb coordination patterns. Jaw–neck–forelimb coordination was quantified by determining whether maximum neck elevation and maximum forelimb flexion are synchronized with either the start of jaw opening or maximum gape. Significant differences in the jaw–neck–forelimb coordination pattern among species were observed, with maximum neck elevation being synchronized with the start of jaw opening in varanids, whereas in T. merianae and G. major, it is achieved closer to maximum gape. Differences in locomotor–feeding integration are suggested to be related to dietary specializations, and as such may play a role in feeding adaptation. The jaw–neck–forelimb coordination pattern used by varanids may indeed be advantageous to prepare a quick strike triggered from further away, providing a critical advantage when feeding on evasive prey. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 105, 607–622.
- Published
- 2012
23. Submaximal leaping in the grey mouse lemur
- Author
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Karine Monteil, Stéphane J. Montuelle, Vincent Bels, Pierre Legreneur, and Eric Pellé
- Subjects
Male ,Microcebus murinus ,biology ,Mouse lemur ,Magnitude (mathematics) ,Lemur ,Kinematics ,Anatomy ,Environment ,biology.organism_classification ,Geodesy ,Adaptation, Physiological ,Sagittal plane ,Biomechanical Phenomena ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Escape Reaction ,Position (vector) ,Orientation (geometry) ,biology.animal ,medicine ,Animals ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Cheirogaleidae ,Locomotion - Abstract
In arboreal animals such as the grey mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus Miller, 1777), leaping is the most frequent strategy for predator avoidance. The aim of this study was to characterise the locomotor adaptation in response to the structural constraint of the habitat (i.e., position of the landing substrate). Thus, we characterised the push-off phase by inducing the lemurs to leap up to a range of heights from horizontal to their own individual highest performance. Using uniplanar high-frequency cineradiographs collected in a sagittal plane, the relative contributions of the centre of mass (CoM) velocity vector magnitude and orientation to leaping performance were evaluated. The kinematics of the push-off phase showed that for low landing heights, leaping performance was essentially due to hip and knee extensions. Higher leaps seemed to be related to an increase in ankle contribution. At all leaping heights, the proximal-to-distal sequence of the hind limb joints controlled the orientation and magnitude of the M. murinus CoM velocity vector while pushing off. Finally, the analysis of the velocity vector at the onset of take-off suggested that the optimal solution for predator avoidance was to leap for horizontal distance and not for vertical distance.
- Published
- 2011
24. Tropical hornbills (Aceros cassidix, Aceros undulatus, and Buceros hydrocorax) use ballistic transport to feed with their large beaks
- Author
-
Sabine Baussart and Vincent Bels
- Subjects
biology ,Physiology ,Mandible (insect mouthpart) ,Ecology ,Movement ,Beak ,Feeding Behavior ,Aceros cassidix ,Aceros undulatus ,biology.organism_classification ,Tropical forest ,Birds ,Feeding behavior ,Tongue ,Ballistic conduction ,Genetics ,Animals ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Buceros hydrocorax ,Molecular Biology ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics - Abstract
The most common and plesiomorphic mechanism of food transport in tetrapods is lingual-based. Neognathous birds use this mechanism for exploiting a large diversity of food resources, whereas paleognathous birds use cranioinertial mechanism with or without tongue involvement. Food transport in three hornbills' species (Aceros cassidix, A. undulatus, and Buceros hydrocorax) is defined by a ballistic transport mechanism. Only one transport cycle is used for moving the food from the tip of the beak to the pharynx. The tongue never makes contact with the food nor is it used to expand the buccal cavity. In hornbills, filmed through high-speed video, time to food release occurred between 0.11 and 0.16 sec before time to maximum gape. The ballistic curves show similar patterns. Maximum gape angle is significantly different between the three species. Each species show a different kinematic and motor pattern of head movements associated with ballistic transport. In A. undulatus, head rotation follows a continuous pattern similar to that reported earlier in toucans. A. cassidix rotates head downward at the time of maximum gape to permit food to reach the pharynx without touching the mandible. B. hydrocorax elevates the head along the transport cycle to avoid contact with the food to the cavity of the upper beak. Selection of large food items in the diet may explain the evolutionary trend of using ballistic transport in the feeding behavior of hornbills, which play a key role in tropical forest ecology by dispersing seeds.
- Published
- 2011
25. Control of Poly-Articular Chain Trajectory Using Temporal Sequence of Its Joints Displacements
- Author
-
Vincent Bels, Thomas Creveaux, and Pierre Legreneur
- Subjects
musculoskeletal diseases ,Computer science ,Elbow ,Workspace ,Wrist ,medicine.disease_cause ,body regions ,Jumping ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Position (vector) ,Control theory ,Trajectory ,medicine ,Displacement (orthopedic surgery) ,Joint (geology) - Abstract
This paper discusses on the role of joint temporal sequence while moving a two-dimensional arm from an initial position to targets into the fingertip workspace in humans. For this purpose, we proposed a general monotonic model of joint asymmetric displacement. Optimization consisted in minimizing least square dis-placement of either fingertip or arm centre of mass from arm initial position to four targets located into fin-gertip workspace, i.e. contralaterally and ipsilaterally. Except for 60° ipsilateral target, results of the simula-tion presented in all cases temporal sequences of the shoulder, the elbow and the wrist. We concluded that primary function of proximal-to-distal or distal-to-proximal joint sequence is to flatten the trajectory of the fingertip or body centre of mass.
- Published
- 2011
26. A clarification of Pouydebatet��al., 2008, evolution of grasping among anthropoids
- Author
-
Emmanuelle Pouydebat, Mary W. Marzke, Michel Laurin, Philippe Gorce, Vincent Bels, Centre de recherche sur la Paléobiodiversité et les Paléoenvironnements (CR2P), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC), and Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Subjects
Cognitive science ,Hand Strength ,MEDLINE ,Manipulative behaviour ,Haplorhini ,Biological evolution ,Biology ,Hand ,Biological Evolution ,Terminology ,body regions ,Extant taxon ,medicine ,Animals ,medicine.symptom ,[SDU.STU.PG]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Paleontology ,human activities ,ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Confusion ,Sequence (medicine) - Abstract
International audience; Several statements by Pouydebat et al. (2008) do not adequately represent views of authors cited, in part because they reflect confusion in the literature about terminology regarding precision gripping. We address these problems, by tracing definitions of precision grips through the literature on manipulative behaviour and identifying the grip that is central to the Pouydebat et al. (2008) study. This allows us to offer a clarification of the statements by Pouydebat et al. (2008) regarding the sequence of appearance of human grip capabilities and possible morphological correlates to these capabilities in extant species.
- Published
- 2009
27. Morphology and Histology of the Tongue and Oral Chamber of Eublepharis macularius (Squamata: Gekkonidae), with Special Reference to the Foretongue and its Role in Fluid Uptake and Transport
- Author
-
Vincent Bels, Megan K. Johnson, Anthony P. Russell, Heather A. Jamniczky, and Stéphane J. Montuelle
- Subjects
Squamata ,Morphology (linguistics) ,biology ,Vomeronasal organ ,Anatomy ,Eublepharis ,biology.organism_classification ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Tongue ,Leopard gecko ,medicine ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Gekkonidae ,Gekkota - Abstract
Detailed descriptions of tongue morphology of members of Squamata that refer to functional implications other than food processing are rare. Herein we focus on the morphology of the dorsal epithelium and internal structure of the tongue of the Leopard Gecko, Eublepharis macularius, emphasizing the foretongue and its relation to fluid uptake. We employ both scanning electron microscopy and serial histology to examine the morphology of the entire tongue, its component regions, and its situation in the oral chamber. We recognize five distinct morphological regions of the dorsal tongue surface, each of which is distinctive both morphologically and histologically. The foretongue bears papillae quite different in structure and spacing from those of all other tongue regions, and these non-glandular structures are involved in gathering and transporting fluid from the environment. Fluid unloaded from the foretongue in the region of the vomeronasal sinus is channeled through the network of cuboidal papillae and directed towards a pair of compartments lateral to the tongue in which fluid pools during a drinking bout. This allows the dorsal surface of the mid- and hind-tongue, which are involved in food processing and manipulation, to be largely segregated from the pathway of fluid flow. We relate our findings to descriptions of the tongue of other taxa, and propose functional hypotheses for the observed morphology. This study provides new anatomical information upon which future studies of the functional morphology of the buccal apparatus in the Gekkota can be based.
- Published
- 2009
28. Ballistic food transport in toucans
- Author
-
Sabine Baussart, Vincent Bels, Leonid Korsoun, and Paul-Antoine Libourel
- Subjects
biology ,Physiology ,Ecology ,Food transport ,digestive, oral, and skin physiology ,Ramphastos ,Videotape Recording ,Animals, Wild ,Feeding Behavior ,biology.organism_classification ,Tropical forest ,Animal Feed ,Biomechanical Phenomena ,Birds ,Eating ,Food resources ,Beak ,Feeding behavior ,stomatognathic system ,Genetics ,Animals ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Molecular Biology ,Tongue movement ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics - Abstract
The basic mechanism of food transport in tetrapods is lingual-based. Neognathous birds use this mechanism for exploiting a large diversity of food resources, whereas paleognathous birds use cranioinertial mechanism with or without tongue involvement. Food transport in two neognathous species of toucans (Ramphastos toco and R. vitellinus) is defined as ballistic transport mechanism. Only one transport cycle is used for moving the food from the tip of the beak to the pharynx. The food is projected between jaws with similar initial velocity in both species. At the time of release, the angle between trajectory of food position and horizontal is higher in R. vitellinus with a shorter beak than in R. toco. The tongue never makes contact with the food nor is it used to expand the buccal cavity. Tongue movement is associated with throat expansion, permitting the food to reach the entrance of the esophagus at the end of the ballistic trajectory. Selection of large food items in the diet may explain the evolutionary trend of using ballistic transport in the feeding behavior of toucans, which plays a key role in ecology of tropical forest.
- Published
- 2009
29. Locomotor–feeding coupling during prey capture in a lizard(Gerrhosaurus major): effects of prehension mode
- Author
-
Anthony Herrel, Vincent Bels, Stéphane J. Montuelle, Paul-Antoine Libourel, Lionel Reveret, Mécanismes adaptatifs : des organismes aux communautés (MAOAC), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology [Cambridge] (OEB), Harvard University, Virtual environments for animation and image synthesis of natural objects (EVASION), Inria Grenoble - Rhône-Alpes, Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Laboratoire Jean Kuntzmann (LJK), Université Pierre Mendès France - Grenoble 2 (UPMF)-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pierre Mendès France - Grenoble 2 (UPMF)-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), ANR-05-MMSA-0002,KAMELEON,Exploitation de masses de données anatomiques spatio-temporelles internes et externes denses pour l'étude des structures squelettiques des vertébrés(2005), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC), Harvard University [Cambridge], and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Université Pierre Mendès France - Grenoble 2 (UPMF)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Université Pierre Mendès France - Grenoble 2 (UPMF)
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Physiology ,030310 physiology ,Prey capture ,Kinematics ,Motor Activity ,Aquatic Science ,Biology ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Anolis ,Predation ,decoupling ,03 medical and health sciences ,jaw ,tongue ,Tongue ,biology.animal ,[SDV.BA.ZV]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Vertebrate Zoology ,medicine ,Animals ,capture ,Gerrhosaurus major ,Molecular Biology ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,0303 health sciences ,Lizard ,Lizards ,Anatomy ,biology.organism_classification ,Biomechanical Phenomena ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Coupling (computer programming) ,Predatory Behavior ,Insect Science ,Animal Science and Zoology ,lizard ,Neuroscience ,feeding - Abstract
SUMMARYIn tetrapods, feeding behaviour in general, and prey capture in particular,involves two anatomical systems: the feeding system and the locomotor system. Although the kinematics associated with the movements of each system have been investigated in detail independently, the actual integration between the two systems has received less attention. Recently, the independence of the movements of the jaw and locomotor systems was reported during tongue-based prey capture in an iguanian lizard (Anolis carolinensis), suggesting a decoupling between the two systems. Jaw prehension, on the other hand, can be expected to be dependent on the movements of the locomotor system to a greater degree. To test for the presence of functional coupling and integration between the jaw and locomotor systems, we used the cordyliform lizard Gerrhosaurus major as a model species because it uses both tongue and jaw prehension. Based on a 3-D kinematic analysis of the movements of the jaws, the head, the neck and the forelimbs during the approach and capture of prey, we demonstrate significant correlations between the movements of the trophic and the locomotor systems. However, this integration differs between prehension modes in the degree and the nature of the coupling. In contrast to our expectations and previous data for A. carolinensis,our data indicate a coupling between feeding and locomotor systems during tongue prehension. We suggest that the functional integration between the two systems while using the tongue may be a consequence of the relatively slow nature of tongue prehension in this species.
- Published
- 2009
30. Effect of locomotor approach on feeding kinematics in the green anole (Anolis carolinensis)
- Author
-
Gheylen Daghfous, Vincent Bels, and Stéphane J. Montuelle
- Subjects
Male ,Arboreal locomotion ,Physiology ,Zoology ,Kinematics ,Models, Biological ,Anolis ,Predation ,Tongue ,Genetics ,Animals ,Molecular Biology ,Predator ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Trophic level ,Analysis of Variance ,biology ,Ecology ,Behavioral pattern ,Lizards ,biology.organism_classification ,Biomechanical Phenomena ,Stereotypy (non-human) ,Predatory Behavior ,Florida ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Locomotion - Abstract
Squamates are well-known models for studying to examine locomotor and feeding behaviors in tetrapods, but studies that integrate both behavioral activities remain scarce. Anolis lizards are a classical lineage to study the evolutionary relationships between locomotor behavior and complex structural features of the habitat. Here, we analyzed prey-capture behavior in one representative arboreal predator, Anolis carolinensis, to demonstrate the functional links between locomotor strategies and the kinematics of feeding. A. carolinensis uses two strategies to catch living insects on perches: Head-Up Capture and Jump Capture. In both cases, lizards use lingual prehension to capture the prey and the kinematic patterns of the trophic apparatus are not significantly influenced by the selected strategies. Therefore, to capture one prey type, movements of the trophic structures are highly fixed and A. carolinensis modulates the locomotor pattern to exploit the environment. Predation behavior in A. carolinensis integrates two different behavioral patterns: locomotor plasticity of prey-approach and biomechanical stereotypy of tongue prehension to successfully capture the prey.
- Published
- 2008
31. Evidence of force exchanges during the six-legged walking of the bottom-dwelling fish,Chelidonichthys lucerna
- Author
-
Marc Jamon, Sabine Renous, Jean Pierre Gasc, John Davenport, and Vincent Bels
- Subjects
Hexapod ,Fin ,biology ,Physiology ,Ecology ,Movement ,Fishes ,Fish species ,Vertebrate ,Conclusive evidence ,Walking ,biology.organism_classification ,Biomechanical Phenomena ,Triglidae ,biology.animal ,Genetics ,Animals ,%22">Fish ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Molecular Biology ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics - Abstract
Locomotion in terrestrial vertebrates is supposed to be derived from preadaptation in bottom-dwelling fish. A few fish species have been assumed to walk on the substratum, on the basis of coordinated movements of their paired fins. However, the validity of this assumption has remained uncertain, because of a lack of evidence that their fin rays actually exert a force on the substratum. Here, we provide the first conclusive evidence that a benthic teleost fish, the gurnard, Chelidonichthys lucerna (Triglidae), exerts forces on the substratum during its temporary bottom-dwelling hexapod locomotion. This demonstration was achieved by the use of a photoelastic gel technique combined with a force calibration device. The movement patterns of the three first pairs of rays of the pectoral fins were analysed in relation to the forces exerted on the substratum, by measuring deformations of the photoelastic gel substratum produced by the rays. The rays were shown to produce a force pattern that confirmed the existence of a hexapod locomotion in a vertebrate that was consistent with body propulsion and voluntary substratum walking. J. Exp. Zool. 307A:542–547, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
- Published
- 2007
32. Substrate optimization in nut cracking by capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella)
- Author
-
Yves Coppens, Vincent Bels, Philippe Gorce, Emmanuelle Pouydebat, Laboratoire de Biomodélisation et Ingénierie des Handicaps - EA 4322 (HANDIBIO), Université de Toulon (UTLN), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN), and Collège de France (CdF (institution))
- Subjects
Male ,0106 biological sciences ,Nut ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Toxicology ,Feeding behavior ,Cebidae ,Animals ,Cebus ,Nuts ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,050102 behavioral science & comparative psychology ,ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Tool Use Behavior ,biology ,digestive, oral, and skin physiology ,05 social sciences ,food and beverages ,Feeding Behavior ,Substrate (biology) ,biology.organism_classification ,Cracking ,Female ,Animal Science and Zoology ,[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology - Abstract
We conducted an experiment to examine the effect of substrate on the nut-cracking behavior of a group of semicaptive capuchin monkeys. We wanted to determine whether tufted capuchin monkeys were selective in choosing the substrate on which they pound nuts, and whether the choice of substrate affected the outcome. Eight adult females and eight juveniles were provided with nuts in the outdoor facility. We found that 1) all adult females and three young capuchins succeeded in cracking nuts; 2) they preferred the hardest substrates (concrete and stone); 3) there is a link between the substrate and the amount of time needed to crack a nut; 4) most young capuchins used various substrates, some of which were inadequate, in a haphazard manner; and 5) there are different forms of nut cracking. We conclude that adult capuchins choose the hardest substrates, and that these substrates support efficient cracking.
- Published
- 2006
33. Morphology and fibre-type distribution in the tongue of the Pogona vitticeps lizard (Iguania, Agamidae)
- Author
-
Leïla-Nastasia Zghikh, Stéphane J. Montuelle, Vincent Bels, Emilie Vangysel, Bernard Blairon, T. Bordeau, Denis Nonclercq, Cécile Berri, Christophe Rémy, Carmen Burtea, Alexandre Legrand, Université de Mons (UMons), Unité de Recherches Avicoles (URA), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Musée d'Histoire Naturelle et vivarium, Ohio State University [Columbus] (OSU), Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology [Leipzig], Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB ), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), and Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Subjects
Pogona ,electromyography ,Histology ,fibre typing ,muscle ,[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] ,Muscle Fibers, Skeletal ,Video Recording ,Electromyography ,Review Article ,Agamidae ,Tongue ,tongue ,biology.animal ,medicine ,Animals ,[INFO]Computer Science [cs] ,Iguania ,Muscle, Skeletal ,capture ,Molecular Biology ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Genioglossus ,biology ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,Lizard ,Lizards ,Cell Biology ,Anatomy ,Feeding Behavior ,biology.organism_classification ,Magnetic Resonance Imaging ,Hyoglossus ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Predatory Behavior ,Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ,Developmental Biology - Abstract
International audience; Agamid lizards use tongue prehension for capturing all types of prey. The purpose of this study was to investigate the functional relationship between tongue structure, both surface and musculature, and function during prey capture in Pogona vitticeps. The lack of a detailed description of the distribution of fibre-types in the tongue muscles in some iguanian lizards has hindered the understanding of the functional morphology of the lizard tongue. Three methodological approaches were used to fill this gap. First, morphological analyses were performed (i) on the tongue surface through scanning electron microscopy, and (ii) on the lingual muscle by histological coloration and histochemistry to identify fibre-typing. Secondly, kinematics of prey capture was quantified by using high-speed video recordings to determine the movement capabilities of the tongue. Finally, electromyography (EMG) was used to identify the motor pattern tongue muscles during prey capture. Morphological and functional data were combined to discuss the functional morphology of the tongue in agamid lizards, in relation to their diet. During tongue protraction, M. genioglossus contracts 420 ± 96 ms before tongue-prey contact. Subsequently, Mm. verticalis and hyoglossus contract throughout tongue protraction and retraction. Significant differences are found between the timing of activity of the protractor muscles between omnivorous agamids (Pogona sp., this study) and insectivorous species (Agama sp.), despite similar tongue and jaw kinematics. The data confirm that specialisation toward a diet which includes more vegetal materials is associated with significant changes in tongue morphology and function. Histoenzymology demonstrates that protractor and retractor muscles differ in fibre composition. The proportion of fast glycolytic fibres is significantly higher in the M. hyoglossus (retractor muscle) than in the M. genioglossus (protractor muscle), and this difference is proposed to be associated with differences in the velocity of tongue protrusion and retraction (5 ± 5 and 40 ± 13 cm s(-1) , respectively), similar to Chamaeleonidae. This study provides a way to compare fibre-types and composition in all iguanian and scleroglossan lizards that use tongue prehension to catch prey.
- Published
- 2014
34. Locomotion in marine Chelonia: Adaptation to the aquatic habitat
- Author
-
Sabine Renous, Vincent Bels, and John Davenport
- Subjects
geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Natural selection ,Ecology ,Continental shelf ,Marine habitats ,Pelagic zone ,Marine life ,Biology ,Fishery ,Habitat ,Adaptation ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,Hatchling - Abstract
Several modern turtles provide good examples of secondary adaptation to marine life. Occupation of an open aquatic environment has required morphological, physiological and behavioural changes driven by natural selection in response to new constraints. Evolution of enhanced aquatic mobility was a major requirement in this evolutionary line. This is evident in the use of the foreflippers as hydrofoils and in the modified coordination of the four limbs that are employed in swimming, but also on land, both in egg laying by females and in running to the surf line by hatchlings. To cope effectively with the environmental demands of diverse marine habitats, sea turtles have developed various life strategies related to differences in their locomotion patterns. These strategies are based on diet, neritic or pelagic life either in shallow waters of the continental shelves or in the surface waters of the open ocean, and the degree to which species engage in energy‐expensive breeding migrations. Differences in turtl...
- Published
- 2000
35. Drinking behaviour inAnolis carolinensis(Voigt, 1837) andOplurus cuvieri(Gray, 1831) (Reptilia: Iguania: Iguanidae)
- Author
-
J P Gasc, Sabine Renous, M Chardon, Vincent Bels, and F Wagemans
- Subjects
Insolation ,Drinking behaviour ,Arboreal locomotion ,Oplurus cuvieri ,Ecology ,Dry season ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Iguanidae ,Iguania ,Biology ,biology.organism_classification ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Anolis - Abstract
The aim of this study is to describe the drinking mechanism in two iguanid species, Anolis carolinensis and Oplurus cuvieri. Both live in varied ecological environments where water may be either very abundant or exceedingly scarce. Anolis carolinensis is an arboreal species of the southern United States; in its environment, water is constantly available in drops or small reservoirs. Oplurus cuvieri lives in northwestern Madagascar, enduring very dry and very wet seasons and high insolation. In the dry season, few pools of water or dewdrops remain available. Light and X-ray filming of drinking revealed that the two species almost always use similar mechanisms to introduce water into the buccal cavity. During immersion, the tongue is used to collect water and push it from the front to the back of the buccal cavity. During emersion, water reaches the esophagus, mainly as a result of gravity. In A. carolinensis, this mechanism is used regardless of the amount of water available. In O. cuvieri, the role of the tongue is less important when water is abundant. In similar conditions, therefore, the two species of Iguania use similar mechanisms for collecting and swallowing water. This drinking mechanism has been observed in Lacerta viridis in the sister-group Scleroglossa.
- Published
- 1999
36. Rattlesnake Strike Behavior: Kinematics
- Author
-
Vincent Bels and Kenneth V. Kardong
- Subjects
Predatory behavior ,Physiology ,Insect Science ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Kinematics ,Anatomy ,Aquatic Science ,Geodesy ,Molecular Biology ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Geology ,Tactile stimuli - Abstract
The predatory behavior of rattlesnakes includes many distinctive preparatory phases leading to an extremely rapid strike, during which venom is injected. The rodent prey is then rapidly released, removing the snake’s head from retaliation by the prey. The quick action of the venom makes possible the recovery of the dispatched prey during the ensuing poststrike period. The strike is usually completed in less than 0.5 s, placing a premium on an accurate strike that produces no significant errors in fang placement that could result in poor envenomation and subsequent loss of the prey. To clarify the basis for effective strike performance, we examined the basic kinematics of the rapid strike using high-speed film analysis. We scored numerous strike variables. Four major results were obtained. (1) Neurosensory control of the strike is based primarily upon sensory inputs via the eyes and facial pits to launch the strike, and upon tactile stimuli after contact. Correction for errors in targeting occurs not by a change in strike trajectory, but by fang repositioning after the jaws have made contact with the prey. (2) The rattlesnake strike is based upon great versatility and variation in recruitment of body segments and body postures. (3) Forces generated during acceleration of the head are transferred to posterior body sections to decelerate the head before contact with the prey, thereby reducing impact forces upon the snake’s jaws. (4) Body acceleration is based on two patterns of body displacement, one in which acute sections of the body open like a gate, the other in which body segments flow around postural curves similar to movements seen during locomotion. There is one major implication of these results: recruitment of body segments, launch postures and kinematic features of the strike may be quite varied from strike to strike, but the overall predatory success of each strike by a rattlesnake is very consistent.
- Published
- 1998
37. Methods and Experimental Protocols to Design a Simulated Bio-Mimetic Quadruped Robot
- Author
-
Vincent Bels, Jean-Claude Guinot, Paul-Antoine Libourel, Sabine Renous, Hadi El Daou, Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique (ISIR), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,0209 industrial biotechnology ,Inertial frame of reference ,Computer science ,Dynamic ,lcsh:TK7800-8360 ,02 engineering and technology ,Kinematics ,Degrees of freedom (mechanics) ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Motion capture ,lcsh:QA75.5-76.95 ,Contact force ,3D Modelling ,020901 industrial engineering & automation ,Artificial Intelligence ,Control theory ,Motion Capture ,[INFO.INFO-RB]Computer Science [cs]/Robotics [cs.RO] ,Simulation ,Quadruped Locomotion ,Inverse kinematics ,lcsh:Electronics ,Computer Science Applications ,Dynamic simulation ,body regions ,Bio‐Mimetics ,Force Sensing ,Robot ,lcsh:Electronic computers. Computer science ,Software - Abstract
Abstract This paper presents a bio-mimetic approach to design and simulate a tortoise-like virtual robot. This study takes a multidisciplinary approach: from in vivo and in vitro experiments on animals, data are collected and used to design, control and simulate a bio-mimetic virtual robot using MD ADAMS platform. From the in vitro experiments, the geometrical and inertial properties of body limbs are measured, and a model of tortoise kinematics is derived. From the in vivo experiments the contact forces between each limb and the ground are measured. The contributions of hind and forelimbs in the generation of propelling and braking forces are studied. The motion of the joints between limb segments are recorded and used to solve the inverse kinematics problem. A virtual model of a tortoise-like robot is built; it is a linkage of 15 rigid bodies articulated by 22 degrees of freedom. This model is referred to as TATOR II. It has the inertial and geometrical properties measured during the in vitro experiments. TATOR II motion is achieved using a Proportional-Derivative controller copying the joint angle trajectories calculated from the in vivo experiments.
- Published
- 2013
38. Evolution of Trophic Systems in Squamates
- Author
-
Kenneth V. Kardong, T.L. Kiene, and Vincent Bels
- Subjects
biology ,Lizard ,Prey capture ,Zoology ,Anatomy ,Predation ,Skull ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Tongue ,biology.animal ,medicine ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Kinesis ,Cervical vertebrae ,Trophic level - Abstract
From lizards to snakes, the trophic system of squamates exhibits at least six major modifications correlated with different feeding strategies. Beginning in lizards, these include 1) shift from tongue to jaws as the primary means of prey capture, accompanied by specialization of the tongue for chemoreception, and 2) increasing skull kineticism. These features continue into snakes along with 3) unilateral jaw displacement during swallowing accompanied by 4) increasing skull kineticism, 5) development of the cervical vertebrae into a lever system for launching the strike, 6) addition of sensory modalities (thermoreception) in some snakes, and in advanced snakes, 7) shift from mechanical to chemical means of predation. Many fundamental features elaborated into the highly kinematic and jaw-based feeding system of snakes actually appear first within lizards. However, the highly kinetic skull of snakes represents not so much an extrapolation of lizard kinesis, as it does a rebuilding, even redesign, of the skull to achieve its high level of kinesis.
- Published
- 1996
39. Flexibility in locomotor-feeding integration during prey capture in varanid lizards: effects of prey size and velocity
- Author
-
Vincent Bels, Stéphane J. Montuelle, Paul-Antoine Libourel, Sandra Daillie, Anthony Herrel, Mécanismes adaptatifs : des organismes aux communautés, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre de recherche en neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Université Jean Monnet [Saint-Étienne] (UJM)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Flexibility (anatomy) ,Physiology ,030310 physiology ,[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] ,Prey capture ,Zoology ,Aquatic Science ,Biology ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Predation ,Eating ,03 medical and health sciences ,Predatory behavior ,Forelimb ,medicine ,Animals ,Molecular Biology ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS ,0303 health sciences ,Ecology ,[SDV.BA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology ,Lizards ,Feeding Behavior ,Biomechanical Phenomena ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Jaw ,Predatory Behavior ,Insect Science ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Omnivore ,Locomotion ,Neck - Abstract
Summary Feeding movements are adjusted in response to food properties, and this flexibility is essential for omnivorous predators as food properties vary routinely. In most lizards, prey capture is no longer considered to solely rely on the movements of the feeding structures (jaws, hyolingual apparatus), but instead is understood to require the integration of the feeding system with the locomotor system (i.e., coordination of movements). Here, we investigate flexibility in the coordination pattern between jaw, neck and forelimb movements in omnivorous varanid lizards feeding on four prey types varying in length and mobility: grasshoppers, live newborn mice, adult mice and dead adult mice. We test for bivariate correlations between 3D locomotor and feeding kinematics, and compare the jaw-neck-forelimb coordination patterns across prey types. Our results reveal that locomotor-feeding integration is essential for the capture of evasive prey, and that different jaw-neck-forelimb coordination patterns are used to capture different prey types. Jaw-neck-forelimb coordination is indeed significantly altered by the length and speed of the prey, indicating that a similar coordination pattern can be finely tuned in response to prey stimuli. These results suggest feed-forward as well as feedback modulation of the control of locomotor-feeding integration. As varanids are considered to be specialized in the capture of evasive prey (although they retain their ability to feed on a wide variety of prey items), flexibility in locomotor-feeding integration in response to prey mobility is proposed to be a key component in their dietary specialization.
- Published
- 2012
40. Drinking and water expulsion in the diamondback turtle Malaclemys terrapin
- Author
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John Davenport, Vincent Bels, and Sabine Renous
- Subjects
Drinking behaviour ,biology ,Ecology ,law ,Zoology ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Turtle (robot) ,Malaclemys terrapin ,Diamondback ,biology.organism_classification ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,law.invention - Abstract
Postural and kinematic characteristics of the drinking behaviour in the diamondback turtle, Malaclemys terrapin (Latreille) were investigated by video and high-speed filming experiments. Head, jaw and throat movements in drinking cycles are described. Postures of neck and head were compared for three water depths (2, 10 and 30 mm). Water expulsion, occurring after the turtle was disturbed, is also kinematically described. Finally, a drinking mechanism in the turtle is proposed.
- Published
- 1995
41. Morphometric characterisation of an arboreal lizard ( Anolis marmoratus marmoratus)
- Author
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M.-A. Placide, Vincent Bels, H. Magnin, Pierre Legreneur, J. Guerlotte, Eric Pellé, Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB ), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université des Antilles (UA), and Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Male ,0303 health sciences ,Arboreal locomotion ,biology ,Lizard ,Biomedical Engineering ,Zoology ,Bioengineering ,Lizards ,General Medicine ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Anolis ,Computer Science Applications ,Human-Computer Interaction ,03 medical and health sciences ,Anolis marmoratus ,biology.animal ,Animals ,[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology ,030304 developmental biology - Abstract
International audience; Hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT) catalyzes the final step of melatonin biosynthesis and appears to be specifically expressed in the pineal gland and in the retina. This review deals with the regulation of HIOMT by environmental light and with the developmental aspects of HIOMT expression in chicken and rat. Early studies based on HIOMT activity measurements and more recent studies involving cDNA hybridization to HIOMT mRNA are taken into consideration. Together, the data reveal that long term regulation of HIOMT by light would rely on a day/night rhythm of HIOMT gene transcription, coupled to a slow turnover of the protein. Rapid changes in HIOMT mRNA levels and early expression during embryonic development suggest that further studies on this gene may shed light on the molecular mechanisms involved in the differentiation of the melatoninergic function and in its regulation by light, both in the pineal gland and in the retina.
- Published
- 2012
42. Convergent exaptation of leap up for escape in distantly related arboreal amniotes
- Author
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Karine Monteil, Michel Laurin, Pierre Legreneur, Vincent Bels, Centre de recherche sur la Paléobiodiversité et les Paléoenvironnements (CR2P), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC), and Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Ecological niche ,0303 health sciences ,Arboreal locomotion ,Microcebus murinus ,biology ,Experimental and Cognitive Psychology ,Exaptation ,biology.organism_classification ,medicine.disease_cause ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Anolis ,Divergence ,03 medical and health sciences ,Behavioral Neuroscience ,Jumping ,Evolutionary biology ,medicine ,Amniote ,[SDU.STU.PG]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Paleontology ,ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS ,030304 developmental biology - Abstract
Tetrapods with highly different morphologies occupy ecological niches of the canopy making them ideal for testing the evolution of structures and performances under similar environmental selective pressures. We compared leap up strategies between two distantly related amniote species, Anolis carolinensis (Squamate) and Microcebus murinus (Lemuriform) known to use leaping as their major locomotor mode for predator avoidance. Our comparative analysis and model show that leaping strategies (flat jump trajectory in horizontal leaps, use of forelimbs in landing) are similar in both species. The most striking divergence concerns only the temporal joint sequence accommodation to leaping height, although an identical proximal-to-distal sequence is observed when both taxa leap to maximal height. We suggest a convergent exaptation of leaping biomechanics among arboreal amniotes, which reflects similar biomechanical constraints and evolutionary pressures in these animals.
- Published
- 2012
43. Chemical basis of prey recognition in thamnophiine snakes: the unexpected new roles of parvalbumins
- Author
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Gheylen Daghfous, Baptiste Leroy, Ruddy Wattiez, Vincent Bels, Maïté Smargiassi, Pierre Legreneur, and Gérard Toubeau
- Subjects
Anatomy and Physiology ,Vomeronasal organ ,Parvalbumins ,Population Dynamics ,Zoology ,lcsh:Medicine ,Sensory system ,Olfaction ,Biology ,Biochemistry ,Microbiology ,Signaling Pathways ,Predation ,Behavioral Ecology ,Fish physiology ,Predator-Prey Dynamics ,Molecular Cell Biology ,Calcium-Mediated Signal Transduction ,Animals ,lcsh:Science ,Physiological Ecology ,Evolutionary Biology ,Multidisciplinary ,Ecology ,Animal Behavior ,Population Biology ,Herpetology ,lcsh:R ,Proteins ,Recognition, Psychology ,Snakes ,Mucus ,Biological Evolution ,Smell ,Predatory Behavior ,lcsh:Q ,Function (biology) ,Research Article ,Signal Transduction - Abstract
Detecting and locating prey are key to predatory success within trophic chains. Predators use various signals through specialized visual, olfactory, auditory or tactile sensory systems to pinpoint their prey. Snakes chemically sense their prey through a highly developed auxiliary olfactory sense organ, the vomeronasal organ (VNO). In natricine snakes that are able to feed on land and water, the VNO plays a critical role in predatory behavior by detecting cues, known as vomodors, which are produced by their potential prey. However, the chemical nature of these cues remains unclear. Recently, we demonstrated that specific proteins-parvalbumins-present in the cutaneous mucus of the common frog (Rana temporaria) may be natural chemoattractive proteins for these snakes. Here, we show that parvalbumins and parvalbumin-like proteins, which are mainly intracellular, are physiologically present in the epidermal mucous cells and mucus of several frog and fish genera from both fresh and salt water. These proteins are located in many tissues and function as Ca(2+) buffers. In addition, we clarified the intrinsic role of parvalbumins present in the cutaneous mucus of amphibians and fishes. We demonstrate that these Ca(2+)-binding proteins participate in innate bacterial defense mechanisms by means of calcium chelation. We show that these parvalbumins are chemoattractive for three different thamnophiine snakes, suggesting that these chemicals play a key role in their prey-recognition mechanism. Therefore, we suggest that recognition of parvalbumin-like proteins or other calcium-binding proteins by the VNO could be a generalized prey-recognition process in snakes. Detecting innate prey defense mechanism compounds may have driven the evolution of this predator-prey interaction.
- Published
- 2012
44. Food Prehension and Manipulation in Microcebus murinus (Prosimii, Cheirogaleidae)
- Author
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Vincent Bels, E. Reghem, Banty Tia, Emmanuelle Pouydebat, Cognition, Action, et Plasticité Sensorimotrice [Dijon - U1093] ( CAPS ), and Université de Bourgogne ( UB ) -Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale ( INSERM )
- Subjects
Microcebus murinus ,Movement ,GREY MOUSE LEMURS ,SENSORY BASIS ,Cheirogaleidae ,RATS ,Fingers ,AYE-AYES ,Eating ,biology.animal ,Animals ,Primate ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Mouth ,biology ,DAUBENTONIA-MADAGASCARIENSIS ,NONHUMAN-PRIMATES ,Anatomy ,Hand ,biology.organism_classification ,Biological Evolution ,MONKEYS CEBUS-APELLA ,SKILLED FORELIMB MOVEMENTS ,CAPUCHIN MONKEYS ,Animal Science and Zoology ,BEHAVIOR ,Cognitive psychology - Abstract
Import JabRef | WosArea Zoology; International audience; Among primates, apes and monkeys are known to use their hands and to exhibit independent control of their fingers. In comparison, Prosimii are thought to have less digital individualization and to use their mouth more commonly for prehension. Unfortunately, prehension and manipulation studies in Prosimii have been conducted in conditions constraining the subject to grasp with the hand. Moreover, the effect of food size remains unexplored, even though it could affect the use of the hands versus the mouth. Thus, whether prosimians use the hand or the mouth to grasp and manipulate food items of different sizes in unconstrained conditions remains unclear. To address this question, we characterized the eating and manipulation patterns of Microcebus murinus in unconstrained conditions, using three food sizes. The results showed that M. murinus showed (i) an eating pattern similar to that of rodents, with smaller food items being grasped with the mouth, (ii) a greater tendency to use the hands for prehension of larger foods, and (iii) plasticity during food manipulation similar to that which has been observed in rodents. These results are discussed in the framework of grasping in mammals and are used to discuss the origins of prehension in primates. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel
- Published
- 2011
45. Assisted walking in Malagasy dwarf chamaeleons
- Author
-
Paul Tafforeau, Renaud Boistel, Paul-Antoine Libourel, Anthony Herrel, Gheylen Daghfous, Vincent Bels, Elodie Boller, Institut International de Paléoprimatologie, Paléontologie Humaine : Evolution et Paléoenvironnement (IPHEP), Université de Poitiers-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Mécanismes adaptatifs : des organismes aux communautés (MAOAC), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC), European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), and Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Subjects
Tail ,0106 biological sciences ,Arboreal locomotion ,Video Recording ,MESH: Locomotion ,MESH: Lizards ,MESH: Video Recording ,Walking ,[SDV.BID]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,03 medical and health sciences ,Paleontology ,Brookesia ,Forelimb ,Animals ,MESH: Walking ,MESH: Animals ,030304 developmental biology ,Video recording ,0303 health sciences ,biology ,MESH: Hindlimb ,MESH: Tail ,Lizards ,biology.organism_classification ,Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Hindlimb ,MESH: Forelimb ,Evolutionary biology ,Ear, Inner ,Animal Behaviour ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,Locomotion ,MESH: Ear, Inner - Abstract
Chamaeleons are well known for their unique suite of morphological adaptations. Whereas most chamaeleons are arboreal and have long tails, which are used during arboreal acrobatic manoeuvres, Malagasy dwarf chamaeleons (Brookesia) are small terrestrial lizards with relatively short tails. Like other chamaeleons,Brookesiahave grasping feet and use these to hold on to narrow substrates. However, in contrast to other chamaeleons,Brookesiaplace the tail on the substrate when walking on broad substrates, thus improving stability. Using three-dimensional synchrotron X-ray phase-contrast imaging, we demonstrate a set of unique specializations in the tail associated with the use of the tail during locomotion. Additionally, our imaging demonstrates specializations of the inner ear that may allow these animals to detect small accelerations typical of their slow, terrestrial mode of locomotion. These data suggest that the evolution of a terrestrial lifestyle inBrookesiahas gone hand-in-hand with the evolution of a unique mode of locomotion and a suite of morphological adaptations allowing for stable locomotion on a wide array of substrates.
- Published
- 2010
46. Separating the effects of prey size and speed on the kinematics of prey capture in the omnivorous lizard Gerrhosaurus major
- Author
-
Stéphane J. Montuelle, Anthony Herrel, Paul-Antoine Libourel, Lionel Reveret, Vincent Bels, Mécanismes adaptatifs : des organismes aux communautés (MAOAC), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC), Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Universiteit Gent = Ghent University [Belgium] (UGENT), Centre de recherche en neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Université Jean Monnet [Saint-Étienne] (UJM)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Virtual environments for animation and image synthesis of natural objects (EVASION), Inria Grenoble - Rhône-Alpes, Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-Laboratoire Jean Kuntzmann (LJK), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Université Pierre Mendès France - Grenoble 2 (UPMF)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Université Pierre Mendès France - Grenoble 2 (UPMF), Adaptations et évolution des systèmes ostéomusculaires (AESO), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Universiteit Gent = Ghent University (UGENT), Centre de recherche en neurosciences de Lyon - Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne (UJM)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Université Pierre Mendès France - Grenoble 2 (UPMF)-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pierre Mendès France - Grenoble 2 (UPMF)-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Physiology ,[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] ,Statistics as Topic ,Prey capture ,Kinematics ,Grasshoppers ,Motor Activity ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Predation ,03 medical and health sciences ,Behavioral Neuroscience ,Mice ,Feeding behavior ,biology.animal ,Animals ,Gerrhosaurus major ,Tenebrio ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Size Perception ,030304 developmental biology ,0303 health sciences ,biology ,Ecology ,Lizard ,[SDV.BA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology ,Lizards ,Feeding Behavior ,Functional system ,Biomechanical Phenomena ,Jaw ,Motor Skills ,Predatory Behavior ,Multivariate Analysis ,behavior and behavior mechanisms ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Omnivore ,sense organs - Abstract
International audience; Feeding behavior is known to be modulated as prey properties change. During prey capture, external prey properties, including size and mobility, are likely some of the most important components in predator–prey interactions. Whereas prey size has been demonstrated to elicit modulation of jaw movements during capture, how prey speed affects the approach and capture of prey remains unknown. We quantified the kinematics associated with movements of both the feeding and locomotor systems during prey capture in a lizard, Gerrhosaurus major, while facing prey differing in size and mobility (newborn mice, grasshoppers, and mealworms). Our data show that the feeding and locomotor systems were recruited differently in response to changes in the size or speed of the prey. The timing of jaw movements and of the positioning of the head are affected by changes in prey size—and speed, to a lesser extent. Changes in prey speed resulted in concomitant changes in the speed of strike and an early and greater elevation of the neck. External prey properties, and prey mobility in particular, are relevant in predator–prey interactions and elicit specific responses in different functional systems.
- Published
- 2010
47. Assessment of movement patterns in Folsomia candida (Hexapoda: Collembola) in the presence of food
- Author
-
Apolline Auclerc, Jean-François Ponge, Sandrine Salmon, Vincent Bels, Paul-Antoine Libourel, Mécanismes adaptatifs : des organismes aux communautés (MAOAC), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,[SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology, environment ,Soil invertebrates ,biology ,Ecology ,Movement (music) ,Directional movement ,Soil Science ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,[SDV.SA.SDS]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Agricultural sciences/Soil study ,biology.organism_classification ,Springtail ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Microbiology ,Short distance ,Hexapoda ,Folsomia candida ,Food capture ,Statistics ,040103 agronomy & agriculture ,0401 agriculture, forestry, and fisheries ,Maximum duration ,%22">Collembola ,Motion study - Abstract
International audience; We showed that Folsomia candida (a blind soil-dwelling Collembola) was able to shift from non-directional (random or search strategy) to directional (target-oriented) movements at short distance of food. We measured departure from linearity and access (or not) to food by the springtail according to distance to the target position. Video-records and image analysis were used to obtain numerical data at 0.2 s interval. The probability of food capture within 10 min (maximum duration of the experiment) was negatively related to distance. Two patterns can be observed along successful trajectories in our experimental conditions (22 degrees C, ambient light, still air), non-directional movement being followed by directional movement when the animals approach food at 25 mm.
- Published
- 2010
48. Hindlimb interarticular coordinations in Microcebus murinus in maximal leaping
- Author
-
Emmanuelle Pouydebat, Paul-Antoine Libourel, Vincent Bels, Pierre Legreneur, François-Régis Thévenet, Karine Monteil, Stéphane J. Montuelle, Centre de recherche en neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Université Jean Monnet [Saint-Étienne] (UJM)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire de Biomodélisation et Ingénierie des Handicaps - EA 4322 (HANDIBIO), Université de Toulon (UTLN), and Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)
- Subjects
musculoskeletal diseases ,0106 biological sciences ,Male ,Microcebus murinus ,Physiology ,030310 physiology ,Movement ,Lemur ,Hindlimb ,Kinematics ,Aquatic Science ,Cheirogaleidae ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,03 medical and health sciences ,biology.animal ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,Molecular Biology ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS ,Physics ,0303 health sciences ,biology ,Behavior, Animal ,Biomechanics ,Anatomy ,biology.organism_classification ,Horizontal plane ,Sagittal plane ,Biomechanical Phenomena ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Insect Science ,Animal Science and Zoology ,[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology - Abstract
SUMMARYThe purpose of this study was to investigate the pattern of coordinations of the hindlimb joints in the world's smallest living primate (Microcebus murinus). The sequencing and timing of joint rotations have been analyzed in five adult males performing maximal leaping from a take-off immobile platform to their own wooden nest. Angular kinematics of hip, knee, angle and metatarso-phalangeal (MT) joints were deduced from high-speed X-ray films in the sagittal plane of the animals. The body mass center (BMC) of the lemurs was assimilated to their iliac crest. The maximal airborne performance of the lemurs was 0.33±0.04 m, which represented 2.55±0.36 times their snout–vent length. Take-off instant occurred 72±7 ms after the start of the push-off, with a BMC velocity of 3.23±0.48 m s−1, oriented 55±14 deg. with the horizontal plane. The kinematic analysis of the joints and musculo-tendon architecture of the M. murinus plantar flexors pointed out mechanical power amplifier mechanisms (i.e. stretch-shortening cycle of hindlimb muscles and proximo-to-distal sequence).
- Published
- 2010
49. Influence of the task on hand preference: individual differences among gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)
- Author
-
Philippe Gorce, E. Reghem, Vincent Bels, and Emmanuelle Pouydebat
- Subjects
Male ,Gorilla gorilla ,biology ,Hand preference ,Gorilla ,Lateralization of brain function ,Functional Laterality ,Task (project management) ,biology.animal ,Complementarity (molecular biology) ,Laterality ,Animals ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Primate ,Female ,Psychology ,Social psychology ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Psychomotor Performance ,Cognitive psychology - Abstract
The degree of task complexity and bimanual complementarity have been proposed as factors affecting lateralization strength in humans. However, a large number of studies have demonstrated group-level lateral hand bias for different manual activities in numerous non-human primate species. However, no study has tested the effects that a variety of tasks may have in inducing differences in hand preference. Here, we aim to test if 3 adult gorillas exhibited a greater hand preference bias performing 4 tasks of varying complexity: grasping small versus large foods, proto-tool use task and tool use task involving greater visuospatial requirements. We found that (1) the complexity of the task does not necessarily induce a right-handed bias and (2) a subject can be right-handed for a complex task and left-handed for another one. These results, complemented by many publications on hand preference in non-human primates, reveal a great variability in hand preference, which makes it very difficult to deduce any details of hominin handedness with artefacts.
- Published
- 2010
50. Kinematic analysis of tongue movements during chemosensory behaviour in the European green lizard, Lacerta viridis (Reptilia: Lacertidae)
- Author
-
Vincent Bels and Véronique Goosse
- Subjects
Lizard ,Lacerta viridis ,Kinematics ,Anatomy ,Biology ,biology.organism_classification ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Tongue ,European green lizard ,biology.animal ,medicine ,Chemosensory behaviour ,Lacertidae ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics - Abstract
High-speed cinematography (100 frames/s) was used to allow quantitative analysis of the kinematic profiles of tongue and jaw displacements during chemosensory activities in the scleroglossan lizard Lacerta viridis. The types of tongue flicking were simple downward extensions (SDE), single oscillations (SOC), and submultiple oscillations (SMOC) of the tongue out of the mouth. The SMOC type involves a downward or upward movement of the tongue performed before a typical oscillation and it is therefore suggested that this is an intermediate category of flick between the typical SOC and MOC of lizards. Closing and opening of the mouth in SDE, SOC, and SMOC cycles may or may not be separated by a stationary stage during which the jaws are held open at a constant gape. The duration of this stationary interval increases from SDE to SMOC. Gape cycles do not show any division into slow and fast stages. The gape is produced largely by depression of the lower jaw; the upper jaw is slightly elevated by protrusion of the tongue. Patterns of correlation of kinematic variables depicting jaw and tongue movements differed between SDE, SOC, and SMOC. A principal component analysis shows that the three flick types overlap in a multivariate space constructed from the kinematic variables depicting jaw and tongue displacements. Overlap between SOC and SMOC categories is greater than that between SOC, SMOC, and SDE categories. The kinematic patterns of tongue displacement during SMOC in Lacerta viridis show similarities with those of MOC in other lizards and in snakes. Kinematically, the pattern of jaw and tongue displacements of Lacerta viridis during chemosensory activities shows similarities with those that occur during drinking and prey capture.
- Published
- 1992
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