I'm Walkin' here!!

["David Krentz" <david_krentz@fa.disney.com>]

Subject: I'm Walkin' here!!                                  7:40 AM
6/12/98

  Is there any theories on quadruped locomotion regarding the benefits of a
rotary (camel walk) gait vs. a transverse walk?  In my observations, it
appears that "taller" animals seem to snap into the rotary walk More often
than shorter ones.  When I say taller animals, I mean giraffes, elephants and
specifically camels.  Maybe this has to do with shifting the balance to one
side of the body while the long legs on the other side are both in a
suspended phase.  I'm trying to imagine an ankylosaur in a rotary walk, but
from test animation, the poor creature would tip over very quickly due to
it's wide body base and short little legs.  It  makes sense to me that it
would walk like a big fat pig.  Sauropods on the other hand, with similar
limbs to elephants( I realize I'm  being very biased here ) may really have
benefited from a rotary walk because of their great height, using their necks
and tails as balancing tools as it leaned off centre.  Is there a way to tell
what form of locomotion a dinosaur used from trackways?
  I don't want to sound condescending, but for those who have no clue what I
mean I'll clarify the difference between the two types of walk as it may be
beneficial to artists.

  Transverse:  One side is stretched out; hind limb back, front limb forward,
 and the other side is squashed;  hind limb forward ( planting just behind
where the front foot was) and the front limb is back.  The great majority of
animals walk like this.  Cats, dogs, crawling babies...
   Rotary:  One side the legs are both forward and on the other side they are
both back.  Camels walk almost exclusively in this manor, and elephants snap
into it every now and then.

  David Krentz,
Walt Disney Feature Animation