Drift during overground locomotion in newly hatched chicks varies with light exposure during embryogenesis.

ABSTRACT

In an earlier study of newly hatched chicks we reported that continuous bright light exposure throughout incubation accelerated locomotor development and continuous dark exposure delayed it, compared to less intense, intermittent light exposure. Commonly studied gait parameters indicated locomotor skill was similar across groups. However, dark incubated chicks walked with a greater step width, raising the possibility of differences in dynamic balance and control of forward progression. In this study, we established methods to retrospectively examine the previously published locomotor data for differences in lateral drift. We hypothesized that chicks incubated in darkness would exhibit more drift than chicks incubated in light. Analyses identified differences in forward progression between chicks incubated in the two extreme light conditions, supporting the study's hypothesis. We discuss the significance of our findings and potential design considerations for future studies of light-accelerated motor development in precocial and nonprecocial animals.