Extreme Performance and Functional Robustness of Movement are Linked to Muscle Architecture: Comparing Elastic and Nonelastic Feeding Movements in Salamanders

Muscle-powered movements are limited by the contractile properties of muscles and are sensitive to temperature changes. Elastic-recoil mechanisms can both increase performance and mitigate the effects of temperature on performance. Here, we compare feeding movements in two species of plethodontid salamanders, Bolitoglossa franklini and Desmognathus quadramaculatus, across a range of body temperatures (5-25°C) to better understand the mechanism...