GPS tracking insight into kittiwake muscle structure

Abstract

GPS tracking insight into kittiwake muscle structure 'Use it or lose it', is the personal trainer's mantra. People and captive animals that exercise tend to have better developed muscles than those that prefer a more sedentary lifestyle. However, Kristen Lalla from McGill University, Canada, explains that the link was less clear for creatures in the wild. Although it would make sense that the most active animals would have the strongest muscles, few studies had put the theory to the test by directly comparing muscle fibre build with animal activity. Kittiwakes that nest in dense colonies on cliffs embark on foraging trips out at sea to feed their young. Given the birds' epic exertions,