Salient features: tail anatomy in the bipedal jumping jerboa compared to quadrupedal rodents

Bipedality in rodents has evolved independently in multiple lineages, and has often been accompanied by the presence of a long tail. The Lesser Egyptian Jerboa (Jaculus jaculus; Family Dipodidae) represents one of these lineages, possessing remarkably fast and agile jumping locomotion as well as a tail length exceeding 1.5x its body length. Rapid swings of the tail and the formation of complex 3D curvatures are hypothesized to aid in inertial maneuvering that enhances quick directional changes during the jerboa’s escape trajectory. Currently, the skeletomuscular features that make a tail specialized for different biomechanical tasks are not well understood. In an effort to identify key anatomical features that augment inertial maneuvering, we compared the tails of jerboas with several quadrupedal rodent species. Specifically, we examined muscle differentiation, patterns of tendon attachments on caudal vertebrae, integration with the hindlimb musculature, and changes in relative tail dimensions. By identifying the salient features that make the jerboa tail an integral part of its unique saltatorial locomotion, we can better understand the neuromuscular control of tail motion, the adaptive evolution of tail anatomy, and the use of tails for inertial maneuvering.

@inproceedings{miyamae2025salient,
  title={Salient features: tail anatomy in the bipedal jumping jerboa compared to quadrupedal rodents},
  author={Miyamae, Juri and Moore, Talia},
  booktitle={INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY},
  volume={65},
  pages={S352--S352},
  year={2025},
  organization={OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC JOURNALS DEPT, 2001 EVANS RD, CARY, NC 27513 USA}
}