The Biokinetics of Flying and Swimming [Paperback]

From a mechanical perspective, an animal's shape and the topological connection of its organs are important factors in locomotion. This book describes the physical relationships between form, habitat, way of life, and movement in living creatures. It includes in-depth mechanical and mathematical analyses of the way in which creatures move about, and it also investigates dispersal modes of plants and animals within the framework of flying and swimming. The book is written from the viewpoint of mechanics, specifically fluid dynamics and flight dynamics, rather than from that of physiology and ecology. It will prove a useful reference for aeronautical and mechanical engineers as well as for biologists who use mechanical analyses in the study of behaviour, function, and locomotion.From a mechanical perspective, an animal's shape and the topological connection of its organs are important factors in locomotion. This book describes the physical relationships between form, habitat, way of life, and movement in living creatures. It includes in-depth mechanical and mathematical analyses of the way in which creatures move about, and it also investigates dispersal modes of plants and animals within the framework of flying and swimming. The book is written from the viewpoint of mechanics, specifically fluid dynamics and flight dynamics, rather than from that of physiology and ecology. It will prove a useful reference for aeronautical and mechanical engineers as well as for biologists who use mechanical analyses in the study of behaviour, function, and locomotion.1 Introduction.- 1.1 Form and Locomotion.- 1.2 Dynamic Similarity.- 2 Dragging, Floating, and Jumping.- 2.1 Terminal Speed of Free-falling Bodies.- 2.2 Drifting in Air.- 2.3 Drifting in Water.- 2.4 Jumping and Free Falling.- 3 Flight by Gliding.- 3.1 Wing Characteristics.- 3.2 Gliding Flight in Birds.- 3.3 Wind Effects on Gliding Flight.- 3.4 Auxiliary Devices.- 3.5 Other Forms of Gliding Flight.- 3.6 Rotary Seeds.- 4 Fll��