Galloping is a discourse that comes from the way horses run at full speed while their gallops do not touch the ground at the same time. This feature, which is identified with horses today, was also seen in many different animals millions of years ago, according to scientists.
When you think about it, you may not be able to imagine any animal galloping apart from horses. Scientists said that abilities such as jumping and galloping first appeared in mammals 210 million years ago. However, new research has revealed that this is not the case, and that most animals, with the exception of horses, were able to gallop long ago.
Millions of years ago, many interesting animals were able to gallop
McElroy and Michael Granatosky of New York Institute of Technology, USA, animals’ walking and running abilities are much higher than previously thought. thought they might have developed it before, and this curiosity prompted them to study the past of animals. Previous research had shown that mammals first emerged 210 million years ago with asymmetrical locomotion abilities such as jumping, leaping, and galloping. This research by the duo revealed that animals had these abilities long before the previous research. Studying 308 animal species known to use asymmetrical gaits, the researchers discovered that the ancestors of many animals, including fish, were able to coordinate their limbs asymmetrically to propel themselves or remove them from their environment.
After months of research, 472 million years ago, when there was no human life on land yet; It turns out that animals have abilities such as jumping, leaping and galloping. According to the research, crocodiles, elephants, lizards, frogs and many other animal species that have lost these abilities today were able to gallop millions of years ago. However, scientists also note that galloping or being able to move asymmetrically is not just a behavior style unique to mammals. According to the information obtained, the ancestors of some fish species could propel themselves along a seabed with the help of their fins.
Scientists suggest that animals that have lost the ability to move asymmetrically may have lost the nerves that coordinate these movements to date, and that it is because they have grown too large to no longer take off or move their limbs any faster.
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