Summary
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1.
Scorpion walking legs are comprised of seven true segments: coxa, trochanter, femur, patella, tibia, tarsus, and pretarsus. Leg and joint positions are illustrated at the limits of protraction and retraction (Fig. 1).
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2.
For all but the coxa-trochanter joint, proprioceptive discharge over a range of settings and for different rates of movement was recorded (Figs. 2–8). From such recordings, estimates were made of the number of tonic and phasic proprioceptive elements monitoring each joint (Table 1).
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3.
In conclusion, it appears that during walking, the scorpion CNS is provided with extensive information concerning instantaneous joint position, as well as rate and direction of joint movement. This massive amount of proprioceptive feedback is presumed to contribute in as yet unknown ways to the generation of coordinated walking performances.
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Bowerman, R.F. An electrophysiological survey of joint receptors in the walking legs of the scorpion,Paruroctonus mesaensis . J. Comp. Physiol. 105, 353–366 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01379293
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01379293