Analysis of the spatio‐temporal parameters of gaits in Dasypus novemcinctus (Xenarthra: Dasypodidae)

Abstract

Armadillos comprise a particular group of armoured animals whose functional morphology of locomotion remains unclear. For the first time, the kinematic patterns of Dasypus novemcinctus are analysed. Eight specimens of nine-banded armadillos were studied at a research institute in São Paulo State, Brazil. The individuals were induced to cross a horizontal corridor and each gait performed during the time each of them was kept inside this structure was recorded to a detailed analysis posteriorly performed in a computer program. Four parameters regarding speed range were considered: stride frequency (Hz) (1/stride period), stride length (m), speed (ms −1 ) and duty factor (%). A total of 89 strides have been analysed among symmetrical (60.6%) and asymmetrical gaits (39.4%), and six footfall patterns were here reported as follows: lateral sequences (symmetrical), transverse gallop, canter, bound, half-bound and crutch walk (asymmetrical). This kind of analysis implements our knowledge on the locomotory aspects of these animals, hence contributing to the improvement of our knowledge on this still poorly known group. K E Y W O R D SCingulata, gait cycle, kinematic, locomotion, Xenarthra | 67 COSTA eT Al. ORCID Fabiana R. Costa

A quantitative method for inferring locomotory shifts in amniotes during ontogeny, its application to dinosaurs and its bearing on the evolution of posture

“…) but is exclusively quadrupedal during locomotion (Costa et al . ). However, some species of armadillo employ plantigrade hindlimb postures and unguligrade forelimb postures during locomotion, suggesting a greater role for the hindlimbs in weight‐bearing in at least some cingulates (Vizcaíno & Milne ).…”

Forelimb myology of armadillos (Xenarthra: Cingulata, Chlamyphoridae): Anatomical correlates with fossorial ability

“…matacus (M. T. Butcher unpublished data), which is less modified for scratch‐digging and classified as generalized digging as its level of fossorality (Attias et al, 2016), and is a member of the subfamily Tolypeutinae. This condition of lacking an extra shoulder stabilizer could possibly be derived for greater RoM of the forelimb, but for locomotor behavior associated with ‘cursorial’ habits of these species (Costa et al, 2019; Vizcaíno & Milne, 2002). Indeed, the latter two armadillos depend less on scratch‐digging for foraging and predator evasion, and overall less frequent burrow construction (Nowak, 2018; Smith, 2009).…”

Ontogenetic and static allometry in the skull and cranial units of nine-banded armadillos (Cingulata: Dasypodidae:Dasypus novemcinctus)

“…The smallest armadillo species do not exceed 0.115 kg while some glyptodonts weighed more than 2,000 kg (Superina & Abba, 2018;Vizcaíno et al, 2012). Size was generally treated separately from other biological traits in taxonomic or evolutionary contributions on this group (e.g., Wetzel & Mondolfi, 1979), while other studies addressed allometry in the postcranial skeleton of armadillos from the functional, metabolic or physiological viewpoints (e.g., Frappell et al, 1998;Vizcaíno & Milne, 2002;Costa et al, 2019). However, Cardini (2019) demonstrated that extant armadillos exhibit a craniofacial evolutionary allometry similar to that of other placental mammals, a trend also detected in a comparative investigation of allometric variations between several armadillo genera (Moeller, 1968) and in two more detailed studies on euphractines (Abba et al, 2015) and dasypodines (Hautier et al, 2017).…”