... isolated for approximately 10 000 years, since shortly after the end of the last Ice Age. We tested the null hypothesis that the pattern of muscle fibre recruitment was the same in all morphs, reflecting their recent diversification. The cross-sectional areas of fast and slow muscle fibres were measured...

... to that reported for muscle fibres from other ectothermic animals (crustaceans, insects, fish and amphibians) but qualitatively different from that reported for some mammalian (cat tenuissimus, goat intercostal) fibres. The changes that occur in the passive electrical properties render the fibres less excitable...

... belonging to the same motor unit are similar or identical. It is likely, therefore, that the phenotype expression of muscle fibres is primarily under neural control. Differences in recruitment patterns of various motor units explain the wide range of metabolic properties as evidenced by pronounced...