ArticleThe Journal of experimental biology2010
Allometry of hummingbird lifting performance.
Article in The Journal of experimental biology, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed.
- Effects of wingbeat kinematics and muscle size on maximum flight speed in hummingbirds.The Journal of experimental biology · 2026Article
- The spatiotemporal richness of hummingbird wing deformations.The Journal of experimental biology · 2024Article
- Article
- Domestic egg-laying hens,Royal Society open science · 2021Article
- Article
- Natural barriers: waterfall transit by small flying animals.Royal Society open science · 2020Article
- Factors affecting the dominance hierarchy dynamics in a hummingbird assemblage.Current zoology · 2019Article
- Article
- Anatomy of the forelimb musculature and ligaments of Psittacus erithacus (Aves: Psittaciformes).Journal of anatomy · 2018Article
- The biomechanical origin of extreme wing allometry in hummingbirds.Nature communications · 2017Article
- Into rude air: hummingbird flight performance in variable aerial environments.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2016Review
- Evolution of avian flight: muscles and constraints on performance.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2016Review
- Outperforming hummingbirds' load-lifting capability with a lightweight hummingbird-like flapping-wing mechanism.Biology open · 2016Article
- Flapping before Flight: High Resolution, Three-Dimensional Skeletal Kinematics of Wings and Legs during Avian Development.PloS one · 2016Article
- Burst muscle performance predicts the speed, acceleration, and turning performance of Anna's hummingbirds.eLife · 2015Article
- Hummingbird wing efficacy depends on aspect ratio and compares with helicopter rotors.Journal of the Royal Society, Interface · 2014Article
- Flying in the rain: hovering performance of Anna's hummingbirds under varied precipitation.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2012Article
- Neuromuscular control of wingbeat kinematics in Anna's hummingbirds (Calypte anna).The Journal of experimental biology · 2010Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Vertical lifting performance in 67 hummingbird species was studied across a 4000 m elevational gradient. We used the technique of asymptotic load-lifting to elicit maximum sustained muscle power output during loaded hovering flight. Our analysis incorporated direct measurements of maximum sustained load and simultaneous wingbeat kinematics, together with aerodynamic estimates of mass-specific mechanical power output, all within a robust phylogenetic framework for the Trochilidae. We evaluated key statistical factors relevant to estimating slopes for allometric relationships by performing analyses with and without phylogenetic information, and incorporating species-specific measurement error. We further examined allometric relationships at different elevations because this gradient represents a natural experiment for studying physical challenges to animal flight mechanics. Maximum lifting capacity (i.e. vertical force production) declined with elevation, but was either isometric or negatively allometric with respect to both body and muscle mass, depending on elevational occurrence of the corresponding taxa. Maximum relative muscle power output exhibited a negative allometry with respect to muscle mass, supporting theoretical predictions from muscle mechanics.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.