DESCRIPTIVE AND KINEMATIC ANALYSIS OF JAW MOVEMENTS DURING EATING BEHAVIOR IN THE PIGEON.
Item
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Title
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DESCRIPTIVE AND KINEMATIC ANALYSIS OF JAW MOVEMENTS DURING EATING BEHAVIOR IN THE PIGEON.
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Identifier
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AAI8708275
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identifier
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8708275
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Creator
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BERMEJO, ROBERTO.
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Contributor
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H. Philip Zeigler
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Date
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1987
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Physiological
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Abstract
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Eating behavior in the pigeon involves relatively stereotyped and naturally occurring movement patterns which are generated by a simple effector organ, the jaw.;The present study was designed to: (1) Characterize the different movement types during the eating sequence. (2) Provide an analysis of the kinematics of these movement classes.;Jaw opening movements during pecking at targets (food pellets) of six different sizes were recorded "on-line" using a transducing system generating a voltage output proportional to gape (interbeak distance). Jaw opening amplitude and its first and second derivatives (velocity, acceleration), were measured for each gape as was rise time to peak amplitude. Correlations between target size and each of the kinematic variables were calculated as were correlations among the kinematic variables.;For some of the movement types, the peak velocity and peak acceleration of the jaw opening response are scaled to target size and highly predictive of its peak amplitude, suggesting that critical parameters of the response have been programmed prior to response initiation. Correlations with rise time, though significant, are considerably smaller. Multiple regression analysis of the data suggest that: (1) For both grasp and mandibulation, a pulse-height model accounts for most of the variance in the opening amplitude. (2) For grasping, but not for mandibulation, rise time contributes to the control of the amplitude by correcting the deviations (errors) in the initial programmed trajectory. (3) Rise time during mandibulation movements are significantly faster than during grasping, and are inversely proportional to the target size.;The motor control strategy used by the pigeon in its grasping behavior is similar to that used by cats and humans to control the scaling of isometric force in tasks involving limb muscles. Given the simplicity of the jaw as an effector system, the pigeon's grasping behavior may be a useful model system for the study of neural mechanisms of motor control.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Psychology
