The biodynamics of arboreal locomotion:: the effects of substrate diameter on locomotor kinetics in the gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica)

Effects of substrate diameter on locomotor biodynamics were studied in the gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica). Two horizontal substrates were used: a flat 'terrestrial' trackway with a force platform integrated into the surface and a cylindrical 'arboreal' trackway (20.3 mm diameter) with a force-transducer instrumented region. On both terrestrial and arboreal substrates, fore limbs exhibited higher vertical impulse and peak vertical force than hind limbs. Although vertical limb impulses were lower on the terrestrial substrate than on the arboreal support, this was probably due to speed effects because the opossums refused to move as quickly on the arboreal trackway. Vertical impulse decreased significantly faster with speed on the arboreal substrate because most of these trials were relatively slow, and stance duration decreased with speed more rapidly at these lower speeds. While braking and propulsive roles were more segregated between limbs on the terrestrial trackway, fore limbs were dominant both in braking and in propulsion on the arboreal trackway. Both fore and hind limbs exerted equivalently strong, medially directed limb forces on the arboreal trackway and laterally directed limb forces on the terrestrial trackway. We propose that the modifications in substrate reaction force on the arboreal trackway are due to the differential placement of the limbs about the dorsolateral aspect of the branch. Specifically, the pes typically made contact with the branch lower and more laterally than the manus, which may explain the significantly lower required coefficient of friction in the fore limbs relative to the hind limbs.