Why do four legged animals run faster

Simple model explains why different four-legged animals adopt similar gaits. Retrieved November 12, from www. Little has been known about how spinal inhibitory interneurons work to silence other neurons and related muscle groups in coordination with the active muscle groups ScienceDaily shares links with sites in the TrendMD network and earns revenue from third-party advertisers, where indicated. Print Email Share.

Boy or Girl? Living Well. View all the latest top news in the environmental sciences, or browse the topics below:. Keyword: Search. In contrast, cheetahs can run more than twice as fast, reaching some 62 miles per hour kph. Pictured: a cheetah. The study was undertaken by animal physiologist Tom Weihmann of the University of Cologne and his colleagues.

After assessing the physical and biological factors that determine the top speed of animals, the team created a biophysical model for running — the core of which is the balance between a creature's propulsive leg force, air resistance and muscle inertia.

It also factors in such physiological attributes as body shape, leg length, number of legs and spine rigidity — all of which can affect animal's maximum velocity. Based on this model, the team identified a 'main pathway' that shows how the structure of animal bodies needs to change with body size in order to achieve the optimal speed. Furthermore, he added, it details 'how specific shapes affect the maximum speed that can be achieved. The heavy bones and straight legs of elephants pictured limit their top speed, which is why elephants are slower than cheetahs, even though they have longer legs, the team explained.

As an example, the researchers point to the contrasting body plans of elephants and mice. Relatively speaking, the former have thicker and heavier bones as well as longer and straighter legs, all of which are necessary to reach such large sizes. In contrast, a mouse scaled up to the size of an elephant would be too delicate — its bones would end up breaking under its own weight. However, the heavy bones and straight legs of elephants inherently limit their top speed, which is why elephants are slower than cheetahs, even though they have longer legs.

When the team applied their model to the the design of our bodies, they found that the top sprinters in sports are already very close to the maximum speed humans can theoretically achieve. Pictured: Usain Bolt, the world's fastest man, sprinting in the Olympic Games. Beyond the addition of technical enhancements like special running shoes or body-augmenting exoskeletons, only evolving longer legs or more elastic tendons would allow human sprinters to achieve higher speeds, the team explained.

The team whimsically noted that their model can even be applied to fictional creatures. For example, Shelob — the giant spider from J. Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings' — might hit a top speed of around 37 mph 60 kph were it real. The full findings of the study were published in the Journal of Theoretical Biology. Scientists have discovered one of the keys to the incredible speeds of the world's fastest animal, the cheetah.

The balance system, in vertebrates' inner ears, consists of three canals that are semicircular. They are all especially sensitive to distinct movements: one is sensitive to up-and-down movements, one to side-to-side movements and the last to tilting movements that go from one side to the other.

New research from the American Museum of Natural History has found that two of the three semicircular canals in the inner ear of the modern cheetah are of different lengths than those of extinct species. Scientists believe the animal's inner ear design evolved over time to make it faster.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Dramatic new testimony from third spouse's relative raises disturbing question after murder case that transfixed Britain. The model can even be applied to fantasy creatures.

For example, the giant spider Shelob from J. In terms of human body geometry, the model shows that top sprinters in sports are already very close to their speed optimum.

Apart from technical applications like special running shoes or exoskeletons, providing lengthening levers or additional elasticity, only longer legs or more elastic tendons would allow even higher speeds. Materials provided by University of Cologne.

Note: Content may be edited for style and length. Science News. Story Source: Materials provided by University of Cologne. ScienceDaily, 23 July University of Cologne. Why four-legged animals are better sprinters.

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