Summary: 255J. exp. Biol. 193, 255­283 (1994)
Printed in Great Britain © The Company of Biologists Limited 1994
HINDLIMB KINEMATICS DURING TERRESTRIAL
LOCOMOTION IN A SALAMANDER (DICAMPTODON
TENEBROSUS)
MIRIAM A. ASHLEY-ROSS
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Irvine,
Irvine, CA 92717, USA
Accepted 26 April 1994
Summary
A quantitative study of hindlimb kinematics during terrestrial locomotion in a non-
specialized salamander was undertaken to allow comparisons with limb movements in
other groups of tetrapods. Five Dicamptodon tenebrosus were videotaped at
200 fieldss 1 walking on a treadmill. Coordinates of marker points on the salamander's
midline, pelvic girdle and left hindlimb were digitized through at least three strides at
both a walk (0.77 SVLs 1, where SVL is snout­vent length) and a trot (2.90SVLs 1).
Marker coordinates were used to compute kinematic variables summarizing trunk
flexion, pelvic girdle rotation, femoral protraction/retraction and knee flexion/extension.
The stride is characterized by uninterrupted trunk and pelvic girdle oscillation, femoral
retraction throughout stance phase, and knee flexion in early stance followed by

Source: Ashley-Ross, Miriam A. - Department of Biology, Wake Forest University

Collections: Environmental Sciences and Ecology; Biology and Medicine