First published online December 22, 2003
Journal of Experimental Biology 207, 475-482 (2004)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2004
doi: 10.1242/jeb.00787
Effect of aestivation on long bone mechanical properties in the green-striped burrowing frog, Cyclorana alboguttata
Nicholas J. Hudson1,
Michael B. Bennett2 and
Craig E. Franklin1,*
1 School of Life Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane,
Queensland 4072, Australia
2 School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane,
Queensland 4072, Australia

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Fig. 1. Illustration of the Instron materials testing apparatus used to measure
femoral and tibiofibular bending strength in the green-striped burrowing frog
(Cyclorana alboguttata). The diagram shows the direction of actuator
travel with respect to bone orientation such that the posterior surface was
loaded in compression.
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Fig. 2. (A) Change in resultant ground reaction force magnitude during a typical
maximal jump for an adult C. alboguttata at 25°C recorded with a
force platform sampling at 1000 Hz. (B) Typical load-displacement curve of a
C. alboguttata long bone broken in three-point bending, sampled at
1000 Hz.
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Fig. 3. Relationship between C. alboguttata body mass (A) and body length
(B) and time to peak ground reaction force during a maximal jump recorded with
a force platform sampling at 1000 Hz. SVL,snoutvent length.
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Fig. 4. Transverse mineralised sections of the tibiofibula in (A) control and (B)
9-month-aestivating C. alboguttata. Scale bar, 0.2 mm.
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© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2004