How tails help geckos and other vertebrates make great strides

How tails help geckos and other vertebrates make great strides 09/14/2017 12:31 PM EDT A wagging tail is often associated with dogs' emotions, but the side-to-side motion may also help them take longer strides and move faster, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, Riverside. The research was done on leopard geckos, which are ideal animals for the study of tail function because they naturally lose their tails as a defense mechanism against predators in a process called autotomy. Full story at https://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/48808 Source University of California, Riverside This is an NSF News From the Field item.   Follow NSF:  This email was sent using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: National Science Foundation Update · 4201 Wilson Boulevard · Arlington, VA 22230 · 703-292-5111