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The paw of the dog has a digitigrade orientation. The vertical columnar orientation of the proximal bones of the limbs, which articulate with distal foot structures that are arranged in quasi-vertical columnar orientation, is well-aligned to transmit loadings during weight-bearing contact of the skeleton with the ground.
In terrestrial vertebrates, digitigrade (/ ˈ d ɪ dʒ ɪ t ɪ ˌ ɡ r eɪ d /) [1] locomotion is walking or running on the toes (from the Latin digitus, 'finger', and gradior, 'walk'). A digitigrade animal is one that stands or walks with its toes (phalanges) on the ground, and the rest of its foot lifted.
Feet have evolved many forms depending on the animal's needs. One key variation is where on the foot the animal's weight is placed. Some vertebrates: amphibians, reptiles, and some mammals such as humans, bears, and rodents, are plantigrade. This means the weight of the body is placed on the heel of the foot, giving it strength and stability.
The primary advantages of a plantigrade foot are stability and weight-bearing ability; plantigrade feet have the largest surface area. The primary disadvantage of a plantigrade foot is speed. With more bones and joints in the foot, the leg is both shorter and heavier at the far end, which makes it difficult to move rapidly.
The feet in loons [2] and grebes [2] [7] are placed far at the rear of the body - a powerful accommodation to swimming underwater, [7] but a handicap for walking. The snowshoe-like foot of the willow ptarmigan is an adaptation for walking on snow. [1] Because avian forelimbs are wings, many forelimb functions are performed by the bill and ...
Different age leads to different step speed and timing. Arm swinging slows when the speed of walking is increased. The height of a child plays a significant role in stride distance and speed. The taller the child is the longer the stride will be and the further the step will be. Gait patterns are velocity and age dependent. For example, as age ...
Toe walking is when a person walks on their toes or the ball of their foot, without putting much or any weight on the heel or any other part of the foot. [1] Toe walking in toddlers is common. Children who toe walk as toddlers commonly adopt a heel-toe walking pattern as they grow older.
In biology, dactyly is the arrangement of digits (fingers and toes) on the hands, feet, or sometimes wings of a tetrapod animal. The term is derived from the Greek word δακτυλος (dáktylos) meaning "finger." Sometimes the suffix "-dactylia" is used. The derived adjectives end with "-dactyl" or "-dactylous."