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Dinosaur running abilities
Good day!
Games of the XXIX. Olympiade in Beijing begin tomorrow and so I decided to post
this topic on DML. Iâm considering the âathleticâ abilities (esp. running
speed) of various non-avian dinosaurs in comparison with human athletes. Iâve
published an article on âdinosaur running speedâ a few months ago (note the
graphic scheme at the bottom of it):
http://www.zshorakhk.cz/tvorba/ucitele/rychlost.pdf
As a long time athletic fan, Iâm keeping many kinds of athletic world record
statistics (progression, comparisons, performance limits etc). Two of my Czech
articles on this topic can be found here:
http://www.zshorakhk.cz/tvorba/ucitele/atletika.pdf
http://www.zshorakhk.cz/tvorba/ucitele/atletika2.pdf
This year sprint performance improved considerably, as Jamaican sprinter Usain
Bolt ran a new world record of 9.72 seconds and American Tyson Gay even wind
aided 9.68 s, best performance in history under any conditions.
More of an interest for biomechanical science would be a top speed achieved by
the fastest sprinter. According to some sources another Jamaican Asafa Powell
achieved straight 48.0 kmh (or 29.82 mph) in 2005. This value is somewhat
doubtful however, as it means that Powell ran 4.1 kmh (1.1 m/s) faster than
anyone else in history (12.19 m/s - 13.33 m/s).* ItÂs likely way exaggerated,
the highest reliable value being 43.9 kmh (27.28 mph; 12.19 m/s).
Estimates for the top speed recently appeared as a reaction to these thoughts.
Some of these came to conclusion, that human body is capable of achieving even
53 km/h (14.72 m/s!) when sprinting.
(As for the confusion on the matter of âaverage v. top speedâ. The former
is 10.29 m/s - 37.04 kmh for the current 100 m WR of 9.72 s (v=s/t x 3.6, i.e.
100/9.72 x 3.6 for kmh), while top speed is a maximum speed achieved on the
fastest 10 m split (like .82 seconds achieved by American Maurice Greene when
finishing 100m in 9.85 s back in 1999))
As for the question: How could possibly better understanding of
biomechanics of human body help understand the principles of locomotion in
(bipedal) dinosaurs and vice versa? IÂve noticed a few studies on this matter
with an elephants, emus, antelopes or rhinoceroses as model organisms. Iâve
noticed recent study on dinosaur speed using 3D computer models, but some
results are rather dubious (especially 64 kmh for Compsognathus seems way too
much). A short table of the speed of some non-avian dinosaur âgroupsâ plus
their virtual 100 m top speed time below (of course these are just âidealâ,
not real, times).
Estimated top speed for various dinosaur groups (for comparison: fastest
crocodile on land 17 kmh/21s; lizard 34.9 kmh/10.3 s; ostrich 73 kmh/4.9 s):
Large sauropods (over 20 tones in weight), large thyreophorans: 4-8 kmh (100 m
in about 45s - 90s)
Smaller sauropods, large ornithopods: 10-15 kmh (100 m in 25s â 35s)
Large theropods: 25-35 kmh (100 m in 15s â 10s) (Allosaurus 34 kmh,
Tyrannosaurus 28-36 kmh)
Human sprinter: 43.9 kmh (fastest 10 m split in 0.82s)
Fastest ceratopians: 35-45 kmh (100 m in 10s â 8s)
Dromaeosaurids: over 40 kmh (100 m in 9s)
Fastest hadrosaurs (Edmontosaurus âDakotaâ): 45 kmh (100 m in about 8s))
Fastest large theropods: Giganotosaurus over 40 kmh (?), juvenile Albertosaurus
over 50 kmh (100 m in 9s and 7s; resp.)
Ornithomimosaurs, cursorial ornithopods: 60 â 80 kmh (100 m in 6s â 4.5s)
Best Wishes, Vladimir
____________________________
http://dinosaurus.bloguje.cz