Fig. 3. Mechanical properties of galloping animals at the trot—gallop
transition speed plotted versus body mass on logarithmic scales. Open
circles are experimental values, and filled circles are model predictions.
Least-squares regression lines are fitted to the model results (see text for
equations). (A) Stride frequency. (B) Hindlimb excursion angle, the maximum
angle swept by a line drawn from the head of the femur to the toe. (C)
Forelimb duty factor, the percentage of a stride period in which a forelimb
contacts the ground, and peak vertical force per body weight. Animal data are
adapted with permission from (A) Heglund et al.
(1974), (B) McMahon
(1975) and (C) McMahon
(1977). Data were taken from
horses, dogs, squirrels, rats and mice.
