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Animal locomotion on the surface layer of water is the study of animal locomotion in the case of small animals that live on the surface layer of water, relying on surface tension to stay afloat. There are two means of walking on water; the regime determined by the ratio of the animal's weight to the maximum vertical force that the surface layer can exert. Creatures such as the basilisk lizard (which can run on water) have a weight which is larger than the surface tension can support. Surface living animals such as the water strider typically have hydrophobic feet covered in small hairs that prevent the feet from breaking the surface and becoming wet. According to biophysicist David L. Hu, there are at least 342 species of water striders. As striders increase in size, their legs become proportionately longer, with Gigantometra gigas having a length of over 20 cm requiring a surface tension force of about 40 millinewtons. Water striders generate thrust by shedding vortices in the water: a series of "U"-shaped vortex filaments is created during the power stroke. The two free ends of the "U" are attached to the water surface. These vortices transfer enough (backward) momentum to the water to propel the animal forwards (note that some momentum is transferred by capillary waves; see Denny's paradox for a more detailed discussion) From Wikipedia under the
GNU Free Documentation License  news.google.com Thu, 10 Jun 2010 18:01:02 GMT+00:00 Securities Industry News (blog) (subscription) Contemporaneous reptiles and fish could have recorded distinct sea surface temperatures or water 18 O, because they lived at various depths or migrated ... From Google News Search: "Animal locomotion on the surface layer of water"  marine-habitats.suite101.com unknown Mon, 26 Feb 2007 08:00:00 GM Plankton is made up of one-celled plants through almost every . animal. phylum on earth. Planktonic organisms that are plants are called phytoplankton and the . animals. are called zooplankton. All planktonic organisms are at the mercy of the currents. However, most planktonic organisms do have some . locomotion. , but it is minute compared to the force of the currents. Additionally, some plankton organisms have methods to move up and down the . water. column feeding near the . surface. ...  cryptomundo.com Loren Coleman Sat, 15 Dec 2007 16:55:31 GM Many reports seem to describe very different . animals. with regards too not only head size, but method of . locomotion. , body size, appearance of the body, and so on. Some reports do describe a huge head, some a smaller one, some a multi . ... If there were a large . animal. that lived not so much in the . water. but in the fine silt that covers the bottom with a thick . layer. of mud, waiting for a decaying carcass to emit the signal that food was available as it would if it were a ...  kev.elbowroomdesign.com Kevan Wed, 14 Feb 2007 19:55:08 GM Although more than capable in tree-top . locomotion. , the ring-tailed lemur prefers ground movement, which would lead to a more likely encounter with the penguin. [17] The ring-tailed lemur is reaches a height of 18 inches, . ... Only one penguin is bleeding, its white fur stained red from a claw that managed to penetrate its . layer. of feathers. More penguins are waddling over, some swimming through the nearby . water. channel and diving onto the land where the battle is taking ... From Google Blog Search: "Animal locomotion on the surface layer of water" |
