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Hind Foot Drumming: Muscle Architecture of the Hind Limb in Three Bathyergidae Species

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A Correction to this article was published on 24 November 2020

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Abstract

The relationship between muscle architectural properties and hind foot drumming of African mole-rats has yet to be determined using established methodology. Therefore, the internal structure of 32 hind limb muscles was evaluated in two drumming and one non-drumming species of Bathyergidae. The muscle mass (MM), fascicle length (Lf), and angle of pennation were measured to calculate the physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA) as well as estimate the maximum isometric force of contraction (Fmax). The most significant differences for the various muscle architecture parameters analyzed in synergistic muscle groups and individual muscles were observed between the rapid drumming Georychus capensis and the non-drumming Cryptomys hottentotus natalensis. The PCSA values of the hip extensors, hip adductors, knee extensors, and knee flexors of G. capensis were significantly larger than that of C. h. natalensis. Additionally, the hip extensors and knee flexors of both the drumming species (G. capensis and Bathyergus suillus) were shown to be capable of higher power output compared to the non-drumming species, and the hip adductors of G. capensis capable of faster contraction. M. gracilis anticus may play a key role in facilitating hind foot drumming as it was the only muscle to be significantly different in G. capensis and C. h. natalensis for all three muscle architecture parameters analyzed. Furthermore, it features in the high shortening capacity quadrant of the functional space plot of both G. capensis and B. suillus but not the non-drumming C. h. natalensis.

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Acknowledgements

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare. The authors would like to thank Prof Martin Kidd for assistance with the statistical analysis. The financial assistance of the National Research Foundation (NRF) and SARChi Mammal Behavioural Ecology and Physiology towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at, are those of the authors and are not necessarily to be attributed to the NRF.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Funding

The financial assistance of the National Research Foundation (NRF) and SARChi Mammal Behavioural Ecology and Physiology towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at, are those of the authors and are not necessarily to be attributed to the NRF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Clinical Anatomy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa

    L. Sahd & S. H. Kotzé

  2. Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa

    N. C. Bennett

Authors
  1. L. Sahd
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  2. N. C. Bennett
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  3. S. H. Kotzé
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Contributions

Lauren Sahd performed the analysis and drafted the manuscript. Nigel Bennett provided the samples and edited the manuscript. Sanet Kotzé was the principle investigator, designed the project and edited the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. H. Kotzé.

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The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Ethical Clearance

Ethical approval to use the specimens was obtained from the Stellenbosch University Research Ethics Committee: Animal Care and Use (REC: ACU; SU-ACUM 16–00005)

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Sahd, L., Bennett, N.C. & Kotzé, S.H. Hind Foot Drumming: Muscle Architecture of the Hind Limb in Three Bathyergidae Species. J Mammal Evol 28, 511–525 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-020-09527-4

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