College
Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences
Date of Last Revision
2024-06-04 07:21:30
Major
Biochemistry
Honors Course
499:002
Number of Credits
2
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Expected Graduation
Spring 2024
Abstract
Geckos move efficiently through a variety of substrates, from swaying branches to wooden fences to the sides of structures. Previous studies have studied locomotion and adhesion on manmade and rough substrates; however, the work is limited when discussing locomotion and adhesion as a relationship of compliance and roughness. Ease of movement was quantified by speed, under the assumption that the faster a gecko moves, the easier it is for the gecko to cross the substrate. Gehyra oceanica geckos from Moorea, French Polynesia were tested on substrates varying in compliance and roughness with four different treatments in total. Compliance, roughness, and the combination of compliance and roughness all have significant effects on a gecko’s speed. However, the highest speeds were reached on the smooth substrate with the most compliance (500g smooth). This was an interesting result, as we hypothesized that geckos would struggle the most with this treatment based on previous studies concerning the morphology of their toe pads. Snout-vent length (SVL) was also collected and had no significant correlation to a gecko’s speed on compliant substrates, regardless of roughness. This paper serves as a basic overview in relating gecko adhesion to roughness and speed.
Research Sponsor
Peter Niewiarowski
First Reader
Richard Londraville
Second Reader
Robert Duff
Honors Faculty Advisor
Brian Bagatto
Proprietary and/or Confidential Information
No
Recommended Citation
Campbell, Brooklynn, "Compliance and Roughness in Relation to Gecko Locomotion" (2024). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 1805.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/1805
Included in
Animal Experimentation and Research Commons, Bioinformatics Commons, Biology Commons, Biomechanics Commons, Biophysics Commons, Biotechnology Commons, Other Animal Sciences Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons, Zoology Commons