The study investigates which principles of movement control are shared by fruit flies, mice, and humans—and what differs between the species. To this end, researchers from Jülich and Cologne developed the open-source software AutoGaitA, which allows movement data from different species to be analyzed and compared using the same criteria.
Software Makes It Possible to Compare the Movements of Flies, Mice, and Humans
Infographic I Questions & Answers About the Study I Contact I Further Information
21 September 2026
How can the movements of fruit flies, mice, and humans be compared? Researchers from Jülich and Cologne have developed the open-source software AutoGaitA for this purpose. It analyzes movement data from different species using the same criteria and reveals common patterns—even as they age. The results have been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
With AutoGaitA, researchers from Jülich and Cologne have developed open-source software for motion analysis. It enables the comparison of movement patterns in fruit flies, mice, and humans and reveals common principles as well as differences in age-related changes.
AutoGaitA Enables Cross-Species Motion Analysis
A fruit fly walks on six legs, a mouse on four, and humans on two. Body size, anatomy, and movement patterns differ greatly. How, then, can their movements still be systematically compared?
To address this, a research team led by Jülich researchers Mahan Hosseini, Silvia Daun, and Graziana Gatto from the University of Cologne has developed AutoGaitA. The open-source software makes it possible to compare motion data from different species under various experimental conditions.
To do this, it processes the temporal sequence of previously recorded body points and uses this data to calculate, for example, stride lengths, joint angles, velocities, and accelerations. Movement cycles of varying lengths are standardized. This allows the movement patterns of different species to be compared directly and systematically.
Fruit flies, mice, and humans exhibit common movement patterns
The analysis initially reveals clear differences between the species when walking. Fruit flies coordinate their leg joints differently than mice. Humans, on the other hand, use, among other things, the push-off from the ankle joint to move. This reflects the different anatomy and biomechanics of the three species.
Nevertheless, there is a common pattern: the limbs farther from the body move faster than those closer to the body. The foot, paw, or the outer leg segment of the fruit fly thus achieve higher speeds than joints closer to the body.
The velocity gradient from near the body to far from the body could indicate a common principle of motor control among animal species that are evolutionarily distant from one another.
AutoGaitA Reveals Changes in Movement with Age
AutoGaitA can also be used to investigate age-related changes in movement. Fruit flies, mice , and humans appear to share the fact that, with increasing age, the ability to generate the propulsive force necessary for forward movement declines.
However, the underlying movement patterns differ. In older humans, the push-off from the ankle joint is reduced. In mice, movements of the knee and ankle joints were primarily affected, while in fruit flies, it was the coordinated flexion of multiple leg joints.
The study did not directly measure the actual forces at work. The conclusions regarding propulsion were derived from the observed movement sequences—experts refer to this as kinematics. Measurements of muscle activity and ground reaction forces, for example, are intended to verify these conclusions in the future.
Mice Adapt Their Gait to Narrow Paths
AutoGaitA was also used to investigate how flexible movement patterns are in mice. To do this, the animals ran across walkways 25, 12, or just 5 millimeters wide. The narrower the walkway, the more the mice adjusted their movement: they shortened their strides and changed their leg posture to maintain balance.
Older mice also adjusted their gait. However, 24-month-old mice were more likely to slip with their paws. On the narrowest plank, they also adopted a more crouched posture. The researchers suspect that this posture lowers the body’s center of gravity, thereby improving stability.
Comparison of Movement Patterns in Fruit Flies, Mice, and Humans: AutoGaitA makes it possible to analyze movement data from different species using a standardized method and to compare them with one another. >> Download the graphic
Motion analysis can bridge animal models and human research
The findings contribute primarily to basic research. With AutoGaitA, researchers can more precisely distinguish which movement patterns are species-specific and which may be based on more general principles of movement control.
This is also relevant for medical research. Animal models play an important role in the study of neurological disorders. However, movement disorders in animals cannot be readily extrapolated to humans. A standardized analysis method can help identify comparable changes in animals and humans more precisely.
AutoGaitA is not limited to walking. The method is fundamentally suitable for various rhythmic movements with clearly recognizable, recurring movement cycles such as running, repeated jumping, grasping and pulling movements, as well as grooming and scratching.
Other potential applications include rehabilitation and sports science. AutoGaitA establishes a methodological foundation for analyzing movements across species, age groups, and experimental conditions using the same criteria. In the long term, this could help to more accurately classify changes in motor function associated with diseases and better compare results from animal models with observations in humans.
AutoGaitA was developed as part of Collaborative Research Center 1451 with the participation of Forschungszentrum Jülich and the University of Cologne.
FAQs about the Study
What is the AutoGaitA study about?
What is AutoGaitA, and how does the motion analysis work?
What specifically was studied in fruit flies, mice, and humans?
What is the most important new finding of the study?
What does the study reveal about movement and aging?
Why is this research socially and medically relevant?
Original Publication
Hosseini, M. et al. (2026): Cross-species identification of conserved and divergent locomotor kinematic strategies using AutoGaitA. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Vol. 123, No. 35, e2534093123. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2534093123
Funding
This work was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) as part of SFB 1451 (Project ID 431549029; INF, Z02, and Z03, as well as 491111487). Other contributors include members of the “iBehave” network, which is funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Silvia Daun
Working Group Leader "Computational Neurology", Deputy Director of the INM-3
- Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine (INM)
- Cognitive Neuroscience (INM-3)
Building 05.7 /
Room 3009
Room 3009
+49 2461/61-8638
E-Mail
Dr. Mahan Hosseini
Postdoctoral Researcher
- Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine (INM)
- Cognitive Neuroscience (INM-3)
Building 05.7 /
Room 3014
Room 3014
+49 2461/61-85151
E-Mail
Media Contact
Further Information
Last Modified: 21.09.2026