MatthiasKabel / Wikimedia Commons
Reconstruction of a Compsognathus
Computer simulations allow researchers to determine the speed of dinosaurs – and many of them were not slow at all.
The idea that dinosaurs were slow beings is already outdated. In 1964, scientists opened doors to the “Renaissance of Dinosaurs”, where we began to realize more about these beings that inhabited our planet millions of years ago.
It is now known that many of them were fast and agile. But which one was the fastest?
“The fastest dinosaur was probably a Ornithomimosauria“Said Susannah Maidment, paleontologist at the London Natural History Museum, to.
These curious animals look like ostriches, and existed in the upper Cretaceous period. “Generally, if an animal has long, thin limbs and its muscle insertions are located near the top of these members, then The leg works basically as a pendulumwhich suggests that it can move relatively fast. ”
And all this was discovered through biomechanicsas determined in the 1970s, also researcher Robert Mcneill Alexander, by defining that “the faster an animal is or runs, the longer are their steps.”
“The really good footprints we find are in softer sediments,” said paleontologist Eugenia Gold. “But if you’ve tried to run in the mud, you know it’s probably not running at its top speed.”
To try to determine the speed of the fastest dinosaur in the world, scientists then resorted to simulations on a computer. The conclusions were that, after all, the fastest of all may have been the Compsognathus.
Of the studied group, the slowest was the great T. rexwhich walked on average at 28.8 km/h. Compsognathus circulated at 64.1 km/h.
“I think they needed to be very fast because they are built this way and are carnivores, and The meat they will hunt will not stand still“Sellers said.” I think they were quick too because the biggest threat to a small theopod is probably a big theopod, because they are tasty after all. “
