Analysis of Tetrapod Gaits: General Considerations and Symmetrical Gaits

The relative timing of the cyclic contacts that the feet of tetrapods make with the ground in terrestrial locomotion determines the gaits of the animals. This chapter reports on a comprehensive and integrative study that establishes a system for analyzing gaits. The model facilitates description, identifies all possible gaits, permits the simultaneous study of hundreds of locomotor performances, and helps to interpret the selection of gaits by the various animals.