In terrestrial animals, plantigrade locomotion means walking with the toes and metatarsals flat on the ground. It is one of three forms of locomotion adopted by terrestrial mammals. The other options are digitigrade, walking on the toes with the heel and wrist permanently raised, and unguligrade, walking on the nail or nails of the toes (the hoof) with the heel/wrist and the digits permanently raised. The leg of a plantigrade mammal includes the bones of the upper leg (femur/humerus) and lower leg (tibia and fibula/radius and ulna). The leg of a digitigrade mammal also includes the metatarsals/metacarpals, the bones that in a human compose the arch of the foot and the palm of the hand. The leg of an unguligrade mammal also includes the phalanges, the finger and toe bones.
Portion of a human skeleton, showing plantigrade habit
Among extinct animals, most early mammals such as pantodonts were plantigrade. A plantigrade foot is the primitive condition for mammals; digitigrade and unguligrade locomotion evolved later. Among archosaurs, the pterosaurs were partially plantigrade and walked on the whole of the hind foot and the fingers of the hand-wing.[1]
List of plantigrade mammalsEdit
Plantigrade mammal species include (but are not limited to):
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.
In humans and other great apes, another possible advantage of a plantigrade foot is that it may enhance fighting performance by providing a more powerful stance for striking and grappling.[2]
Plantigrade foot occurs normally in humans in static postures of standing and sitting. It should also occur normally in gait (walking). Hypertonicity, spasticity, clonus, limited range of motion, abnormal flexion neural pattern, and a plantar flexor (calf) muscle contracture, as well as some forms of footwear such as high heeled shoes may contribute to an individual only standing and/or walking on their toes. It would be evident by the observable heel rise.
^Carrier, David R; Cunningham, Christopher (15 February 2017). "The effect of foot posture on capacity to apply free moments to the ground: implications for fighting performance in great apes". Biology Open. 6 (2): 269–277. doi:10.1242/bio.022640. PMC5312108. PMID 28202470.
October 15, 2023
plantigrade, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, june, 2017, le. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Plantigrade news newspapers books scholar JSTOR June 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message In terrestrial animals plantigrade locomotion means walking with the toes and metatarsals flat on the ground It is one of three forms of locomotion adopted by terrestrial mammals The other options are digitigrade walking on the toes with the heel and wrist permanently raised and unguligrade walking on the nail or nails of the toes the hoof with the heel wrist and the digits permanently raised The leg of a plantigrade mammal includes the bones of the upper leg femur humerus and lower leg tibia and fibula radius and ulna The leg of a digitigrade mammal also includes the metatarsals metacarpals the bones that in a human compose the arch of the foot and the palm of the hand The leg of an unguligrade mammal also includes the phalanges the finger and toe bones Portion of a human skeleton showing plantigrade habitAmong extinct animals most early mammals such as pantodonts were plantigrade A plantigrade foot is the primitive condition for mammals digitigrade and unguligrade locomotion evolved later Among archosaurs the pterosaurs were partially plantigrade and walked on the whole of the hind foot and the fingers of the hand wing 1 List of plantigrade mammals EditPlantigrade mammal species include but are not limited to Some primates including humans Carnivora Ursidae bears Musteloidea skunks raccoons weasels badgers otters and red pandas Barbourofelis false saber tooth cats Rodents mice rats porcupines Lagomorphs rabbits Hedgehogs Hyraxes Marsupialia kangaroos opossumsEvolution EditThe 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 In humans and other great apes another possible advantage of a plantigrade foot is that it may enhance fighting performance by providing a more powerful stance for striking and grappling 2 Plantigrade foot occurs normally in humans in static postures of standing and sitting It should also occur normally in gait walking Hypertonicity spasticity clonus limited range of motion abnormal flexion neural pattern and a plantar flexor calf muscle contracture as well as some forms of footwear such as high heeled shoes may contribute to an individual only standing and or walking on their toes It would be evident by the observable heel rise References Edit Pterosaur net Terrestrial Locomotion Carrier David R Cunningham Christopher 15 February 2017 The effect of foot posture on capacity to apply free moments to the ground implications for fighting performance in great apes Biology Open 6 2 269 277 doi 10 1242 bio 022640 PMC 5312108 PMID 28202470 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Plantigrade amp oldid 1174848398, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
