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Except for the kids and a few people who like to ride horses – that’s really something – it’s mostly the galloping animals. Turns out they were able to do this 472 million years ago.
Most will immediately think of a galloping horse, but camels, lions and giraffes can do something too. It is a form of movement that falls under asymmetrical gaits, where the feet of the animal touch the ground in an irregular pattern. Rabbits, reptiles and some bottom-crawling fish also have such a corridor.
The idea has long been that the gallop appeared at the same time as the arrival of the first mammals: around 210 million years ago. But this is now contradicted by researchers.
When they took a closer look at the family tree of animal species that have such a gait, and with the help of clever computer models, they found a different number. It makes more sense that the ancestors of these animals – who still lived in the water – were already using some form of this corridor around 472 million years ago when moving along the bottom.
In fact, almost all animals alive today had galloping ancestors. Only some – like frogs and elephants – eventually lost this skill. We humans seem to have rediscovered it thanks to a remarkable new equestrian sport.
Read more: Animals acquired the ability to gallop 472 million years ago†
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