Summary
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1.
In the sideway walk of the crab (Carcinus), a distinction is made between the leading legs (“membres épidromiques”) which are on the same side as the direction of movement, and the trailing legs (“membres apodromiques”) on the opposite side of the cephalothorax. Three joint angles were measured (C-B, M-C and P-D) on film (50 frames/sec), and the electromyographic activity of the flexor-extensor muscles and of the levator (posterior levator) were recorded during these experiments.
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2.
In summary the sideways walk is the synchronous action of elevation of the trailing legs, flexion and closing of their distal segments and elevation, extension and closing of the leading legs. Each part of this series of limb movements is alternated with the contraction of the opposing muscles of the appendages. The angular sector covered by the articulation of the joint differs depending on whether the leg is leading or trailing the direction of movement.
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3.
The C-B or M-C joint was fixed and certain muscles were cut in order to reveal intersegmental proprioceptive loops.
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4.
It is suggested that the elevation of each appendages is centrally programmed but that proprioceptive information can modify the action.
Résumé
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1.
Suivant le sens du déplacement latéral, les appendices locomoteurs du crabe se trouvent situés du coté de la direction de la marche (membre épidromique ou ≪Leading Leg≫) ou de l'autre coté de céphalothorax (membre apodromique ou ≪trailing leg≫). Les angles des trois articulations qui assurent des mouvements dorsoventraux, C-B, M-C et P-D, ont été mesurés sur film à 50 images sec au cours de déplacements parfaitement latéraux. L'activité électromyographique du couple fléchisseur-extenseur (méropodite) et de l'élévateur a été enregistré.
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2.
La locomotion peut se résumer à une action simultanée de l'élévation basale, de la flexion et de la fermeture pour un appendice apodromique, de l'élévation, de l'extension et de la fermeture pour un membre épidromique; chacune de ces séries de mouvement est séparée par la contraction des muscles antagonistes. Les secteurs angulaires parcourus au niveau de chaque articulation semblent caractéristiques d'un coté à l'autre.
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3.
Par des blocages articulaires (C-B ou M-C) et des sections musculaires nous avons pu mettre en évidence des boucles proprioceptives intersegmentaires dues à la persistance de la perturbation.
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4.
L'élévation de chaque appendice semble résulter de l'action conjuguée d'un programme central et d'une information proprioceptive qui l'ajuste.
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Clarac, F., Coulmance, M. La marche latérale du crabe (Carcinus). Z. Vergl. Physiol. 73, 408–438 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00297955
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00297955