Zigzagging: Theoretical insights on climbing strategies
Abstract
Human and animal trails on steep hillsides often exhibit dramatic switchbacks and shortcuts. Helbing et al. have recently examined the emergence of human trail systems on flat terrains while Minetti and Margaria established the effect of gradients on human metabolic efficiency. In this paper we use these ideas to develop a semi-quantitative theoretical model of the behaviour of humans moving on a terrain with relief. The model determines the direction of movement by minimising metabolic cost per unit of distance in a desired direction. The structure of the theory resembles the Landau Theory of Phase Transitions, much used in theoretical physics. We find that both hairpin bends (switchbacks) and shortcuts appear as efficient strategies for downhill walkers, while uphill walkers retain switchbacks. For weakly inclined slopes, the best strategy involves walking directly uphill or downhill. For sufficiently steep slopes, however, we find that the best strategy should undergo a transition to a broken symmetry solution corresponding to the switchback trail patterns typical of rugged environments. The critical slope at which this transition takes place should be less steep for uphill and downhill walkers. The theory should be amenable to empirical investigation. Amongst other applications, this model will enable us to generalize the work of previous authors to real landscapes, eventually permitting the reconstruction of ancient patterns of movement in archaeological landscapes.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Social force model for pedestrian dynamics.
Helbing, D., & Molnár, P. (1995) · Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics · doi:10.1103/physreve.51.4282 · Cited by 7,299 · see citing works
Principles of Optics: Electromagnetic Theory of Propagation, Interference and Diffraction of Light
Born, M., Wolf, E., & Hecht, E. (2000) · Physics Today · doi:10.1063/1.1325200 · Cited by 4,185 · see citing works
Ivey, J. E. (1969) · The Musical Quarterly · doi:10.1093/mq/lv.1.87 · Cited by 1,050 · see citing works
Lectures on the Calculus of Variations and Optimal Control Theory
El-Hodiri, M. A., & Young, L. C. (1971) · Econometrica · doi:10.2307/1913279 · Cited by 631 · see citing works
Energy cost of walking and running at extreme uphill and downhill slopes
Minetti, A. E., Moia, C., Roi, G. S., Susta, D., & Ferretti, G. (2002) · Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01177.2001 · Cited by 624 · see citing works
Biomechanics and Energetics of Muscular Exercise.
(1977) · Annals of Internal Medicine · doi:10.7326/0003-4819-86-3-375_3 · Cited by 470 · see citing works
Modelling the evolution of human trail systems
Helbing, D., Keltsch, J., & Molnár, P. (1997) · Nature · doi:10.1038/40353 · Cited by 302 · see citing works
Elephants avoid costly mountaineering
Wall, J., Douglas‐Hamilton, I., & Vollrath, F. W. (2006) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2006.06.049 · Cited by 233 · see citing works
A Theory of Metabolic Costs for Bipedal Gaits
Minetti, A. E., & Alexander, R. M. (1997) · Journal of Theoretical Biology · doi:10.1006/jtbi.1997.0407 · Cited by 227 · see citing works
Batty, M., Desyllas, J., & Duxbury, E. (2003) · International Journal of Geographical Information Systems · doi:10.1080/1365881031000135474 · Cited by 197 · see citing works
Energetics and optimization of human walking and running: The 2000 Raymond Pearl memorial lecture
Alexander, R. M. (2002) · American Journal of Human Biology · doi:10.1002/ajhb.10067 · Cited by 192 · see citing works
Lectures on the calculus of variations and optimal control theory
Jones, G. S. (1971) · Journal of the Franklin Institute · doi:10.1016/0016-0032(71)90005-6 · Cited by 124 · see citing works
Optimum gradient of mountain paths
Minetti, A. E. (1995) · Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1152/jappl.1995.79.5.1698 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
Batty, M. (1997) · Nature · doi:10.1038/40266 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Optimising Yacht Routes Under Uncertainty
Philpott, A., & Mason, A. (2001) · SNAME Chesapeake Sailing Yacht Symposium (CSYS) · doi:10.5957/csys-2001-009 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Rowe, N. C. (1997) · The International Journal of Robotics Research · doi:10.1177/027836499701600307 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
1 of the 17 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- De Smith, M., 2003. In: Longley, P.A. Batty, M. (Eds.), Advanced Spatial Analysis. ESRI Press, Redlands, California (Chapter 15).
- Margaria, 1938, Sulla fisiologia e specialmente sul consume energetico della marcia e della corsa a varia velocita ed inclinazione de1 terreno, Atti Accad. Naz. Lincei Memorie, 7, 299
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Order in movement: a GIS approach to accessibility
Llobera, M., Fábrega‐Álvarez, P., & Parcero‐Oubiña, C. (2010) · Journal of Archaeological Science · doi:10.1016/j.jas.2010.11.006 · Cited by 153 · see citing works
Self-citationModelling of pathways and movement networks in archaeology: an overview of current approaches
Verhagen, P., Nuninger, L., & Groenhuijzen, M. R. (2019) · Computational Social Sciences · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-04576-0_11 · Cited by 117 · see citing works
Least-cost Paths – Some Methodological Issues
Herzog, I. (2014) · Internet Archaeology · doi:10.11141/ia.36.5 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
The Scaling of Uphill and Downhill Locomotion in Legged Animals
Birn‐Jeffery, A. V., & Higham, T. E. (2014) · Integrative and Comparative Biology · doi:10.1093/icb/icu015 · Cited by 95 · see citing works
Güimil-Fariña, A., & Parcero‐Oubiña, C. (2014) · Journal of Archaeological Science · doi:10.1016/j.jas.2014.11.030 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Murrieta‐Flores, P. (2012) · Trabajos de Prehistoria · doi:10.3989/tp.2012.12082 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Richards-Rissetto, H., & Landau, K. (2013) · Journal of Archaeological Science · doi:10.1016/j.jas.2013.08.006 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Lewis, J. (2021) · Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory · doi:10.1007/s10816-021-09522-w · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Strategic switchbacks: Dynamic commercialization strategies for technology entrepreneurs
Marx, M., & Hsu, D. H. (2015) · Research Policy · doi:10.1016/j.respol.2015.06.016 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Placing the Pillar of Eliseg: Movement, Visibility and Memory in the Early Medieval Landscape
Murrieta‐Flores, P., & Williams, H. M. R. (2017) · Medieval Archaeology · doi:10.1080/00766097.2017.1295926 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Finding the Limits of the Limes
Verhagen, P., Joyce, J., & Groenhuijzen, M. R. (2019) · Computational social sciences · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-04576-0 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Reconstruction of itineraries from annotated text with an informed spanning tree algorithm
Moncla, L., Gaio, M., Nogueras-Iso, J., & Mustière, S. (2015) · International Journal of Geographical Information Systems · doi:10.1080/13658816.2015.1108422 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Páez, A., Anjum, Z., Dickson-Anderson, S. E., Schuster-Wallace, C. J., Martín Ramos, B., & Higgins, C. D. (2020) · Journal of Transport Geography · doi:10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2019.102564 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Computational Approaches to the Study of Movement in Archaeology
Verhagen, P., & Polla, S. (2014) · De Gruyter eBooks · doi:10.1515/9783110288384 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Murrieta‐Flores, P., Baron, A., GREGORY, I. N., Hardie, A., & Rayson, P. (2014) · Transactions in GIS · doi:10.1111/tgis.12106 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Traveling in a Prehistoric Landscape: Exploring the Influences that Shaped Human Movement
Murrieta‐Flores, P. (2010) · Lancaster EPrints (Lancaster University) · doi:10.15496/publikation-3314 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
A Roman Puzzle. Trying to find the Via Belgica with GIS.
Verhagen, P., & Jeneson, C. F. (2012) · Digital Academic REpository of VU University Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) · Cited by 31 · see citing works
On the Road to Nowhere? Least Cost Paths, Accessibility and the Predictive Modelling Perspective
Verhagen, P. (2013) · Universitätsbibliothek Tübingen · doi:10.15496/publikation-2187 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Computational models for understanding movement and territory
Bevan, A. (2011) · UCL Discovery (University College London) · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Parcero‐Oubiña, C., Güimil-Fariña, A., Fonte, J., & García, J. M. C. (2019) · Computational social sciences · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-04576-0_14 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Issues in replication and stability of least-cost path calculations
Herzog, I. (2022) · Studies in DIGITAL Heritage · doi:10.14434/sdh.v5i2.33796 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
GIS Analysis and Spatial Networking Patterns in Upland Ancient Warfare: The Roman Conquest of Dacia
Oltean, I. A., & Fonte, J. (2020) · Geosciences · doi:10.3390/geosciences11010017 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Herzog, I. (2017) · Studies in Digital Heritage · doi:10.14434/sdh.v1i2.23283 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Lempidakis, E., Wilson, R. P., Luckman, A. J., & Metcalfe, R. S. (2018) · Journal of Theoretical Biology · doi:10.1016/j.jtbi.2018.08.024 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Kay, A. (2012) · Geographical Analysis · doi:10.1111/j.1538-4632.2012.00838.x · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Rom, J., Haas, F., Stark, M., Dremel, F. C., Becht, M., Kopetzky, K., Schwall, C., Wimmer, M. H., Pfeifer, N., Mardini, M., et al. (2020) · Open Archaeology · doi:10.1515/opar-2020-0113 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Murrieta‐Flores, P. (2014) · De Gruyter eBooks · doi:10.1515/9783110288384.99 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Choosing efficient actions: Deciding where to walk
Linkenauger, S. A., Weser, V. U., & Proffítt, D. R. (2019) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0219729 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Pace and Critical Gradient for Hill Runners: An Analysis of Race Records
Kay, A. (2012) · Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports · doi:10.1515/1559-0410.1456 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Explaining Known Past Routes, Underdetermination, and the Use of Multiple Cost Functions
Lewis, J. (2023) · Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory · doi:10.1007/s10816-023-09621-w · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Memory at your feet: Modeling the agency of past trails
Llobera, M. (2020) · Journal of Archaeological Science Reports · doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2019.102177 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Self-citationNir, N., Knitter, D., Hardt, J., & Schütt, B. (2021) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0245248 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
The Importance of Energetics in Archaeological Least Cost Analysis
Field, S., Glowacki, D. M., & Gettler, L. T. (2022) · Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory · doi:10.1007/s10816-022-09564-8 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Improved prediction of hiking speeds using a data driven approach
Wood, A., Mackaness, W., Simpson, T. I., & Armstrong, J. D. (2023) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0295848 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Canosa-Betés, J. (2016) · Journal of Archaeological Science Reports · doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.08.026 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Mobility in ancient times: Combining land and water costs
Fernández, P. T. (2021) · Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage · doi:10.1016/j.daach.2021.e00192 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Lynch, J., & Parcero‐Oubiña, C. (2017) · Journal of Archaeological Science Reports · doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2017.09.019 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Bevan, A. (2013) · UCL Discovery (University College London) · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Vahidi, H., & Yan, W. (2016) · Open Geospatial Data Software and Standards · doi:10.1186/s40965-016-0009-9 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Stubert, L., Oliveras, A. M. I., Maerker, M., Schernthanner, H., & Vogel, S. (2020) · Geosciences · doi:10.3390/geosciences10060206 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Efkleidou, K. (2019) · Open Archaeology · doi:10.1515/opar-2019-0030 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Rubio-Campillo, X., Ble, E., Pujol, À., Sala, R., & Tamba, R. (2022) · Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory · doi:10.1007/s10816-022-09549-7 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Remote Sensing and GIS Modelling of Roman Roads in South West Britain
Parcero‐Oubiña, C., Smart, C., & Fonte, J. (2023) · Journal of Computer Applications in Archaeology · doi:10.5334/jcaa.109 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Reconsidering the basics of mountain trail categorisation: case study in Slovenia
Krevs, M., Repe, B., & Mazej, T. (2023) · European Journal of Geography · doi:10.48088/ejg.m.kre.14.2.044.063 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Nonlinearity and distance of ancient routes in the Aztec Empire
Lugo, I., & Alatriste‐Contreras, M. G. (2019) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0218593 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Model-based management of macrophytes in shallow lakes under warming
Wunderlich, R. F., Jamoneau, A., Boutry, S., Hosni, M. M., & Bertrin, V. (2025) · Journal of Environmental Management · doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124543 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Over the Hills and Far Away? Cost Surface Based Models of Prehistoric Settlement Hinterlands
Frischer, B., & Crawford, J. W. (2010) · Universitätsbibliothek Tübingen · doi:10.15496/publikation-3232 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
The role of multimodally specified effort in action-relevant distance perception
White, E. J. (2012) · OhioLink ETD Center (Ohio Library and Information Network) · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Casas, D. G., & Ballbé, E. G. (2023) · Quaternary International · doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2023.07.007 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Juxtaposing GIS and Archaeologically Mapped Ancient Road Routes
Hodza, P., & Butler, K. A. (2022) · Geographies · doi:10.3390/geographies2010005 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Fernández, P. T., Carneiro, A., & Moreira, N. (2023) · Journal of Archaeological Science Reports · doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.103962 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Estimación del tiempo de demora en rutas pedestres: comparación de algoritmos
Pérez, J. M., Villalta, I. V., & Álvarez, J. I. (2015) · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Carroll, F., & Carroll, E. B. (2022) · Journal of Computer Applications in Archaeology · doi:10.5334/jcaa.88 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Hagmann, D. (2025) · Journal of Archaeological Science · doi:10.1016/j.jas.2024.106151 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Steep slopes, shallow angles: mountain ungulates create their own topography through movements
Redcliffe, J., Wilson, R. P., Holton, M. D., Hopkins, P. W., Garel, M., Marchand, P., Wilson, G. I., Brown, M. R., & Börger, L. (2025) · Canadian Journal of Zoology · doi:10.1139/cjz-2024-0095 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Quirós, E., Fernández, P. T., Antolín, A., & Mayoral, V. (2024) · Journal of Archaeological Science · doi:10.1016/j.jas.2024.105988 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
A Cost-Based Ripley’s K Function to Assess Social Strategies in Settlement Patterning
Pérez, J. N., Muñoz, F., & Barceló, J. A. (2017) · Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory · doi:10.1007/s10816-017-9358-7 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
A variant to Naismith's problem with application to path planning
Verriest, E. I. (2008) · IFAC Proceedings Volumes · doi:10.3182/20080706-5-kr-1001.01210 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Lazzari, M., Oltean, I., Oyaneder Rodríguez, A., Scattolin, M. C., & Pereyra Domingorena, L. (2024) · Remote Sensing · doi:10.3390/rs16203795 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Identification of historical trackways in forests using contextual geospatial analyses
Slámová, M., Pažinová, N. B., Belčáková, I., Beljak, J., & Maliniak, P. (2022) · Archaeological Prospection · doi:10.1002/arp.1882 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Rafart-Vidal, E., Rubio‐Campillo, X., Llach, X. M., Olivares, C. B. G., & de la Torre, M. S. (2025) · Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences · doi:10.1007/s12520-025-02351-y · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Aparicio, J. J. F., Jiménez, T. R., & Briones, A. L. A. (2021) · Arqueología de la Arquitectura · doi:10.3989/arq.arqt.2021.003 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Coco, E., & Йовита, Р. (2025) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0325693 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Gutiérrez, O. R., Madroñal, D. J., & Pérez, J. M. (2020) · Zephyrvs · doi:10.14201/zephyrus202085109138 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Analysing the sacred landscape in the Iberian Culture: GIS, caves and ritual performance
López, S. M., & Castillo, A. D. (2023) · Zephyrvs · doi:10.14201/zephyrus202290135158 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Least Cost Paths and Movement in Tonto Basin, Central Arizona
Caseldine, C. R. (2021) · KIVA · doi:10.1080/00231940.2021.1996517 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Landscapes of (dis)connection: Modelling connectivity in west Samos with least cost path analysis
Loy, M. M. T. (2025) · Journal of Archaeological Science Reports · doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105144 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Borreggine, M., Slayton, E. R., Bartos, N., Farr, H., Kealy, S., & Zaia, S. (2025) · Journal of Maritime Archaeology · doi:10.1007/s11457-025-09454-6 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Testing Models for Medieval Settlement Location
Herzog, I. (2013) · Studies in classification, data analysis, and knowledge organization · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-01595-8_38 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Funk, M. (2009) · RePEc: Research Papers in Economics · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Parcero-Oubiña, C., Fábrega-Álvarez, P., & Lynch, J. (2024) · Cambridge Archaeological Journal · doi:10.1017/s0959774323000240 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Shim, W. J., Ko, I., & Park, S. J. (2022) · Journal of Computer Applications in Archaeology · doi:10.5334/jcaa.97 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
A Cumulative Interaction Path Analysis for Santo Domingo Tonaltepec, Mixteca Alta, Mexico
Tuñón, A. M., & Rodríguez, V. P. (2025) · Journal of Archaeological Science · doi:10.1016/j.jas.2025.106215 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Hewitt, R. J., Alcaraz‐Castaño, M., Hernandez, V., & Morley, M. W. (2025) · Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory · doi:10.1007/s10816-025-09726-4 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
About walking uphill: time required, energy consumption and the zigzag transition
Leuthäusser, U. (2013) · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Drillat, Q. (2022) · Journal of Archaeological Science Reports · doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2022.103378 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
López, P., Loyola, R., Carrasco, C., Latorre, E., & Méndez, V. (2024) · Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology · doi:10.3389/fearc.2024.1423960 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
SARIBAL, İ., Çoşlu, M., & Selim, S. (2025) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su17156897 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
LCP-GIS method for preventive conservation of heritage structures under wind action
López-Ortiz, E., Dong, J., Li, S., & Pineda, P. (2025) · International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction · doi:10.1016/j.ijdrr.2025.105836 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Least cost path analysis and fluvial navigation of Patagonian hunter-gatherers
Scartascini, F. L., & Gavuzzo, A. B. (2025) · Journal of Archaeological Science · doi:10.1016/j.jas.2025.106397 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
High resolution data reveal fundamental steps and turns in animal movements
Gunner, R., Wilson, R. P., Lurgi, M., Börger, L., Redcliffe, J., Shepard, E. L. C., Holton, M. D., Crofoot, M. C., Alagaili, A. N., Andrzejaczek, S., et al. (2026) · Ecological Monographs · doi:10.1002/ecm.70069 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Energy Minimizing Mountain Ascent
Jaklič, G., Kanduč, T., Praprotnik, S., & Žagar, E. (2012) · Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications · doi:10.1007/s10957-012-0088-4 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Nieto, M. G., & Zarzalejos Prieto, M. (2023) · Pyrenae · doi:10.1344/pyrenae2023.vol54num2.3 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
De las fuentes escritas a las técnicas de teledetección
Blanco, A. M., García, V. V., & Fonte, J. (2023) · Studia Historica Historia Antigua · doi:10.14201/shha31235 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Investigating connectivity in the Metapontine chora using Least Cost Path
Davidson, C. (2024) · Journal of Archaeological Science Reports · doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104755 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Geospatial mapping of a 16th century transport corridor for Southeast Europe
Kabadayı, M. E., Gerrits, P., & Boykov, G. (2021) · Digital Scholarship in the Humanities · doi:10.1093/llc/fqab084 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Redcliffe, J. (2021) · doi:10.23889/suthesis.58584 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
An Overview of Selected GIS Methods Available for Use in Glacial Archaeology
Rogers, S. R. (2013) · Journal of Glacial Archaeology · doi:10.1558/jga.v1i1.99
Dunn, S., & Mahoney, S. (2019) · Bulletin supplement / · doi:10.14296/917.9781905670802
Pearce, E. (2015) · Scholars' Bank (University of Oregon)
Herrera, V. M., Sánchez, J. G., Lobato, C. C., & Carmona, J. Á. S. (2022) · Lucentum · doi:10.14198/lvcentvm.21592
Landwehr, K., Hecht, H., & von Castell, C. (2025) · Attention Perception & Psychophysics · doi:10.3758/s13414-025-03079-6
Progress and prospects of quantitative simulation research on ancient human migration paths
Wang, L., Peng, P., Liu, X., & Chen, F. (2025) · Chinese Science Bulletin (Chinese Version) · doi:10.1360/tb-2025-0148
Mycenaean roads in the Peloponnese, Greece: Least-cost path modelling using R and Movecost
Nuttall, C., & Kovačević, J. (2025) · Journal of Archaeological Science · doi:10.1016/j.jas.2025.106414
Pažout, A. (2026) · Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory · doi:10.1007/s10816-026-09766-4
Individualized Pathfinding in Rugged Open Terrains Using Semantic Navigation Meshes
Creus, C., Pelechano, N., & Argudo, O. (2026) · Computer Graphics Forum · doi:10.1111/cgf.70505
A Spatial Analysis Model for Exploring Human-Environment Interactions
Fernández, P. T. (2026) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009659949
Exploring the Inherent Affordability for Movement in Past Landscapes
Parcero‐Oubiña, C., & Solana-Muñoz, A. (2026) · Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory · doi:10.1007/s10816-026-09813-0
- Authors
- Llobera, M., & Sluckin, T. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Washington (US)
- University of Southampton (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Llobera, M.
- Venue
- Journal of Theoretical Biology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2007-11
- Volume
- 249
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 206-217
- ISSN
- 0022-5193 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2049192609
- Cited by
- 103
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 9.27
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Theoretical Biology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (submittedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Washington
- Leverhulme Trust
- Arts and Humanities Research Council
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Ocean Engineering › Evacuation and Crowd Dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Building and Construction › Urban Design and Spatial Analysis
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Condensed Matter Physics › Theoretical and Computational Physics
- Keywords
- switchbacks, hiking trails, trail formation, metabolic cost, symmetry breaking, Landau theory, critical slope, archaeological landscape
- MeSH terms
- Altitude, Animals, Biomechanical Phenomena, Energy Metabolism, Humans, Models, Biological, Motor Activity, Walking
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
