Department of Musculoskeletal Biology II, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Biol Lett. 2012 Feb 23;8(1):46-9. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2011.0574. Epub 2011 Aug 10.
The distance that animals leap depends on their take-off angle and velocity. The velocity is generated solely by mechanical work during the push-off phase of standing-start leaps. Gibbons are capable of exceptional leaping performance, crossing gaps in the forest canopy exceeding 10 m, yet possess none of the adaptations possessed by specialist leapers synonymous with maximizing mechanical work. To understand this impressive performance, we recorded leaps of the gibbons exceeding 3.7 m. Gibbons perform more mass-specific work (35.4 J kg(-1)) than reported for any other species to date, accelerating to 8.3 ms(-1) in a single movement and redefining our estimates of work performance by animals. This energy (enough for a 3.5 m vertical leap) is 60 per cent higher than that achieved by galagos, which are renowned for their remarkable leaping performance. The gibbons' unusual morphology facilitates a division of labour among the hind limbs, forelimbs and trunk, resulting in modest power requirements compared with more specialized leapers.
动物跳跃的距离取决于它们的起跳角度和速度。速度仅由站立起跑跳跃的推离阶段的机械功产生。长臂猿具有出色的跳跃性能，能够跨越超过 10 米的森林树冠间隙，但它们没有任何与最大化机械功同义的专业跳跃者所拥有的适应性。为了理解这种令人印象深刻的性能，我们记录了超过 3.7 米的长臂猿跳跃。长臂猿比迄今为止报道的任何其他物种都进行更多的质量特定工作（35.4 J kg(-1)），在单次运动中加速到 8.3 ms(-1)，重新定义了我们对动物工作性能的估计。这种能量（足以进行 3.5 米的垂直跳跃）比以出色的跳跃性能而闻名的夜猴高出 60%。长臂猿不寻常的形态促进了后肢、前肢和躯干之间的分工，与更专业的跳跃者相比，它们的功率需求较小。
