Penguin waddling is not wasteful

Timothy M. Griffin () and Rodger Kram
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Timothy M. Griffin: Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology
Rodger Kram: Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology

Nature, 2000, vol. 408, issue 6815, 929-929

Abstract: Abstract Penguins use twice as much metabolic energy as other terrestrial animals of a similar mass to walk a given distance1,2, which was thought to be because side-to-side waddling requires excessive work. Here we show that waddling actually conserves mechanical energy and suggest instead that walking is expensive for penguins because their short legs require them to generate muscular force rapidly.

Date: 2000
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DOI: 10.1038/35050167

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