A primal role for balance in the development of coordinated locomotion

Abstract

Mature locomotion requires that animal nervous systems coordinate distinct groups of muscles. The pressures that guide the development of coordination are not well understood. We studied vertical locomotion in developing zebrafish to understand how and why coordination might emerge. We found that zebrafish used their pectoral fins and bodies synergistically to climb. As they developed, zebrafish came to coordinate their fins and bodies to climb with increasing postural stability. Fin-body synergies were absent in mutants without vestibular sensation, linking balance and coordination. Similarly, synergies were systematically altered following cerebellar lesions, identifying a neural substrate regulating fin-body coordination. Computational modeling illustrated how coordinated climbing could improve balance as zebrafish mature. Together these findings link the sense of balance to the maturation of coordinated locomotion. As they develop, zebrafish improve postural stability by optimizing fin-body coordination. We therefore propose that the need to balance drives the development of coordinated locomotion.