Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
J Exp Biol. 2023 Apr 25;226(Suppl_1). doi: 10.1242/jeb.245111. Epub 2023 Mar 13.
Panarthropods (a clade containing arthropods, tardigrades and onychophorans) can adeptly move across a wide range of challenging terrains and their ability to do so given their relatively simple nervous systems makes them compelling study organisms. Studies of forward walking on flat terrain excitingly point to key features in inter-leg coordination patterns that seem to be 'universally' shared across panarthropods. However, when movement through more complex, naturalistic terrain is considered, variability in coordination patterns - from the intra-individual to inter-species level - becomes more apparent. This variability is likely to be due to the interplay between sensory feedback and local pattern-generating activity, and depends crucially on species, walking speed and behavioral goal. Here, I gather data from the literature of panarthropod walking coordination on both flat ground and across more complex terrain. This Review aims to emphasize the value of: (1) designing experiments with an eye towards studying organisms in natural environments; (2) thoughtfully integrating results from various experimental techniques, such as neurophysiological and biomechanical studies; and (3) ensuring that data is collected and made available from a wider range of species for future comparative analyses.
泛节肢动物（包含节肢动物、缓步动物和有爪动物的一个进化枝）能够在广泛的挑战性地形上灵活移动，而且它们相对简单的神经系统使它们成为引人注目的研究对象。对在平坦地形上向前行走的研究令人兴奋地指出了在腿间协调模式中似乎“普遍”共享的关键特征。然而，当考虑到更复杂的自然地形时，协调模式的可变性——从个体内到种间水平——变得更加明显。这种可变性可能是由于感觉反馈和局部模式生成活动之间的相互作用造成的，并且取决于物种、行走速度和行为目标。在这里，我从泛节肢动物在平坦地面和更复杂地形上行走协调的文献中收集数据。这篇综述旨在强调以下几点的价值：（1）设计实验时要着眼于研究自然环境中的生物体；（2）巧妙地整合来自神经生理学和生物力学等各种实验技术的结果；（3）确保从更广泛的物种收集和提供数据，以便进行未来的比较分析。
