Frogs have a unique skeleton made for jumping that evolved over hundreds of millions of years, new research has shown.
Precise control over their long hind legs allows the amphibians to achieve an 鈥渁mazing鈥� range of jump angles, from near-horizontal to almost vertical.
A Royal Veterinary College team focused on the red-legged running frog (Kassina maculata), an African species that not only jumps, but can also walk and climb.
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High-speed cameras revealed the extreme range of jump angles the frog is capable of.
鈥淪ome jumps were nearly horizontal, with animals skimming over the ground. In other trials, the frogs rocketed upwards almost vertically,鈥� said lead researcher Laura Porro. 鈥淭heir capacity to jump at such a wide range of angles and distances is amazing.鈥�
Sophisticated computer simulations showed the 3D motions of frogs鈥� legs are 鈥渁stonishingly鈥� complex, the researchers said.
Forward power was primarily derived from the hip joint, while most of the vertical lift was driven by the ankle, the team found.
The knee joint appeared to be crucial in positioning the leg and determining the final take-off angle.
鈥淭he ability to jump at a wide range of angles is probably very important to this species as they hunt insects in trees at night and need to be able to move around in a complex, 3D environment,鈥� said Porro.
Experiments showed that, despite being able to move in a number of different ways, the African frog鈥檚 jumping performance was similar to that of other species that specialised in leaping.
