5 months ago
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(NewsNation) — For the archetypal time, researchers recovered that hippopotamuses assistance each 4 limbs disconnected the crushed erstwhile moving astatine precocious speeds implicit land, according to a caller study.
Researchers astatine the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) successful the United Kingdom discovered this aft analyzing video footage of hippos astatine Flamingo Land, a taxable parkland successful North Yorkshire, England. They studied 169 strides from 46 trials involving 32 hippos and recovered that the fastest-moving animals walk astir 15% of each stride disconnected the ground.
Hippos thin to determination accelerated erstwhile motivated, specified arsenic chasing rivals oregon being chased by predators similar lions oregon rhinos, per the study.
Researchers noted erstwhile studies claimed that hippos moved likewise to elephants owed to their size, with a sequential limb question "of near hind, near fore, close hand, close fore." However, the footage showed that hippos tin assistance each 4 feet disconnected the crushed for an instant, astir 0.3 seconds.
Additionally, researchers recovered that hippos astir exclusively trot, moving 2 diagonal limbs successful unison, careless of speed. This contrasts with different mammals similar horses, which alteration gait from locomotion to trot to gallop based connected their speed.
John Hutchinson, the study's pb writer and a prof of evolutionary biomechanics astatine the RVC, said these findings could assistance amended the absorption of hippos successful captivity and assistance successful detecting and monitoring carnal wellness issues successful these animals.
