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The relation between maximal running speed and body mass in terrestrial mammals
Abstract
The available data on maximal running speeds of mammals are presented, and the relationship between speed and body mass is considered. For all mammals (n= 106), maximal running speed scales as (body mass)0–17; however, the largest mammals are not the fastest, and an optimal size with regards to running ability is suggested ( 119 kg). Maximal running speeds are, on the average, somewhat more than twice maximal aerobic speeds. Within the Artiodactyla, Carnivora or Rodentia, maximal running speed is mass independent, in agreement with theoretical expectations for geometrically similar animals (Thompson, 1917; Hill, 1950). McMahon's (1975 b) model for elastic similarity is therefore not supported by the available data on maximal running speeds, and there appears to be no necessary correspondence between scaling of limb bone proportions and running ability.
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Cited by
Endurance running and the evolution of Homo
Bramble, D. M., & Lieberman, D. E. (2004) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature03052 · Cited by 1,743
Dynamics of genome size evolution in birds and mammals
Kapusta, A., Suh, A., & Feschotte, C. (2017) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1616702114 · Cited by 466
Body Size and Scaling of Limb Proportions in Primates
Jungers, W. L. (1985) · Size and Scaling in Primate Biology · doi:10.1007/978-1-4899-3647-9_16 · Cited by 324
Does metatarsal/femur ratio predict maximal running speed in cursorial mammals?
Garland, T., & Janis, C. M. (1993) · Journal of Zoology · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1993.tb02626.x · Cited by 285
Self-citationScaling the Ecological Cost of Transport to Body Mass in Terrestrial Mammals
Garland (1983) · The American Naturalist · doi:10.1086/284084 · Cited by 279
Metadata
- Authors
- Garland, T.
- Venue
- Journal of Zoology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1983-02
- Volume
- 199
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 157-170
- ISSN
- 0952-8369 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-7998
- OpenAlex
- W2120837621
- Cited by
- 360
- References
- 0
- FWCI
- 8.20
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
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