Variations in Grasshopper Jump Performance Due to Female Reproductive State - Kaitlin Arntzen
Hometown: Maynard, Massachusetts
Class Year: 2008
Major: Biology
Research Advisor: Scott D. Kirkton
Project Description:
Organisms that rely on jumping as a method of locomotion must be designed for maximal efficiency. Grasshoppers utilize jumping as a means of predatory escape. Previous studies suggest that life history changes, such as pregnancy, alter jumping ability in female grasshoppers. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the oviposition (egg-laying) cycle in female grasshoppers. The results of this study will be used for further research on how oviposition affects female jumping ability by testing both jump force production and jump endurance before and after egg-laying.