Cursorial Adaptation

Introduction to Cursorial
Adaptation:
• Animals are in need of two prime requi­
sites food and safety. These two factors
seem to be of much competitive nature in
the open earth surface where one runs
after the prey, and prey move speedily so
as to escape from the predators
• The basic feature of this adaptation is to
acquire speed. Hence it is also called as
speed adaptation. Cursorial adaptation
may be defined as the adjustment of
animals with the open environment of
earth surface (i.e., terrestrial), correlated
directly with the adap­tation of speed for
both prey and predator.
Essential Features of an Animal
to be Cursorial:
• In a perfectly cursorial animal inertia of the
body must be well regulated to attain
speed. Total control over the movements
of different parts of the limb and other
oscilla­ting body parts to be attained.
During loco­motion, most of the body parts
should be detached from the ground to
minimise fric­tion. Navigation of directions
should be maintained perfectly during
running with the help of well-developed
Structural Modifications to
Cursorial Adaptation:
 Body Contour:

• For swift passage through the air with a

minimum resistance, the body becomes
spindle shaped. The streamlined body has
compressed thorax and flattened ribs. The
body with well-extended head and neck,
backwardly thrown ears and tense
muscles represent the most suitable
modification for fast moving.
 Modifications for Speed
Attainment:
• a) Loss of General Utility:
• i. The Incidence:
• In cursorial adaptation the limbs have
been modified exclusively as the
propelling organ. The general utilities of
limb have been lost. Hind limbs are
efficient drivers and are somewhat in
advance of the fore limbs in the degree of
their evolution.
 ii. Reason for Modifications:
• Running is a sort of leaping on all the four
limbs. The extended fore limbs pull the
body forward during running. Larger hind
limbs support and propel the heavier
anterior part of the body. Fore limbs being
nearer to the mouth are concerned with
food collection.
 (b) Change of Foot Posture:

• Primitive terrestrial foot posture is

plantigrade, which in some forms gave rise
to unguligrades through digitigrades.
Hence lengthening of limbs occur by rising
upon the toes (Fig. 4.18).
 i) Plantigrades (Latin: planta,
sole; gradi, to walk):

• In this posture the entire palm or sole rests

on the ground, e.g., Bear, Raccoon and
primates (Baboons and Man).
 (ii) Digitigrades (Latin: digitus,
finger):
• In this posture the animals walk or run by
placing only the digits on the ground with
the carpals and tarsals. The metacarpals
and metatarsals remain above the ground,
e.g., Dog, Fox, Hyena etc. Modern Camels
have become secondarily digitigrade from
unguligrades posture.
iii) Unguligrades (Latin: ungula =
hoof):
• In this posture the animals walk on
modified nail or hoof supported by finger
or toes, e.g., Antelope, Horse, etc.
 (c) Loss of Digits:

• Environment as well as speed adaptation

has the influence in determining digital
reduction. Plantigrade animals generally
possess five toes, digiti­grade animals
possess four toes, while unguligrade
animals possess two (in case of
artiodactyls) or one (in case of
perisodactyls) digits (Fig. 4.19).
• With the loss of digits there occurs a
compacting of bones of the palm and the
sole, and often it is fused’ to form the
metapodials. Often this is carried to give
rise to actual fusion of these elements into
a can­non bone. Birds show a fusion of
metatarsals and speed adapted ungulates
show fusion of tarsal and carpal bones.
 (d) Reductimi of Fibula and
Ulna:
• The radio-ulna and tibia-fibula of the fore
and hind limbs get reduced for the
attainment of speed. In exclusively
locomotory limbs the ulna and the fibula of
fore and hind limbs, are reduced.
e) Loss of Universal Movement:
• (The entire motion of the limbs becomes
restricted to move in one plane, except
girdles, where universal movements
through ball and socket articulation persist.
It is thought that one necessity of this
feature is to avoid inter­ference between
fore and hind limbs, while running.
• the other is, as the girdles are restricted to
fore and aft plane, the necessity for lying
down and rising again. With other
articulations, those between the ankle and
wrist, knee and elbow and between the
digits, the tendency is generally towards
rigid limitation of movement in unguligrade
but less so in digitigrade forms.
 (f) Lengthening of Limbs:

• Lengthening of limbs is essential for long

strides. Increase of length may be both
actual and relative (Fig. 2.21).
Concentrated muscles of the proximal part
of the limbs transmit coordinated pow­ers
to the lower legs through the attached
tendons (Fig. 4.20).
 (g) Ratios of Proportional
Coordination:

• Only the limbs cannot increase, and

increase is always coordinated along with
others, like the increase of neck, skull and
other portions of body parts, perhaps
correlated with food getting and drinking.
Hence a definite ratio of body parts must
be coordinated.
 (h) Bipedality:
• A two footed mode of progression as an
adaptation to speed is called bipedality.
Practically, bipedality is evident in all birds
and many mammals. Bipedal lizards and
extinct reptiles provide much evolutionary
importance
 Structural Modification for
Bipedality:
• (i) Reduction of Fore Limb:
• In bipedal crea­tures due to division of
labour, the hind limb becomes an
exclusive rapid propulsive organ, while the
forelimbs retain their generalized
characters as their sole use is for resting
(in kangaroos), or for slow locomotion
while feeding. When the cursorial
adaptation is per­fected, the fore limbs
become smaller and much reduced so as
 (ii) Counterpoise:
• Some sort of counter­poise is always
necessary in semi-erect biped, where tail
usually assumes this function. Tail serves
as prop, like a third limb when the creature
rests as evident in kangaroo. In larger
forms, tails are usually short and heavy.
• In small creatures tails are compara­tively
longer and slender. The true cursorial
birds (ratitae) maintain their balance with
ease. The head and neck are put forward
and the weight is balanced on hind limbs.
 (iii) Shortening of Neck:

• In bipedal mam­mals there is a tendency

towards reduction in the length of neck.
Although seven cervical vertebrae are
characteristic of the mammals, yet
vertebrae themselves are shortened and
coalesce into a rigid mass of bone, e.g., in
the rodent, Pedetes, cervical 2 and 3 are
closely articulated, while in Dipus (jerboa)
all the cervicals except the atlas are fused.
• Development of senses – with the deve­
lopment of other organs, sense organs are
highly developed. Specially, auditory,
olfactory and visual senses are extremely
developed.
 Mental Precocity:
• Animals depending upon speed cannot
leave helpless young. Such helpless
young’s are either brought forth in some
scheduled den or carried about by mother.
Feeble young of carnivores and rodents
are kept hidden for a considerable period.
• Kanga­roos carry the young within the
mursupium. The young ones of other
animals must keep up with the herd almost
at once after birth. Thus cursorial
adaptation makes the animal a machine
for the attainment of speed on the open
ground of earth’s surface.
Examples of some Cursorial
adapted Vertebrates:
 Class Reptilia:

• Class Reptilia:

• Order – Squamata; Lizard and snakes,

especially desert inhabi­ting members.
Frilled lizard of Australia
(Chlamydosaurus) can run 24 km/hr.
 Class Aves:

• All flightless birds are excel­lent runners,

e.g., Emu (Dromicieus), Rhea, ostrich
(Struthio), cassowaries, etc. Ostrich can
run at a speed of 40 km/hr. Among fly­ing
birds rail (Aptornis), plover (Phuvialis),
pheasant (Phasiunus), oystercatchers are
run­ners for short distances. Pheasant can
run at a speed of 25 km/hr.
 Class Mammalia:

• Order Marsupialia:

• Kangaroo (Macropus)
• Order Rodentia:
• Hare (Lepus), rabbit (Oryctolagus), jerboa
(Dipus), guinea pig (Cavia) etc. Jackrabbit
can ran at about 60-70 km/hr.
• Order Carnivora:
• Dog (Canis), fox (Vulpes), cats (Felis and
Panthera), cheetah (Acinonyx) etc.
Cheetah can run at a maximum speed of
110 km/hr for a brief period.
• Order Perisodactyla:

• Horses and asses (Equus), rhinos

(Rhinoceros) etc. Horse can run at a
speed of 60-70 km/hr
 Order Artiodactyla:

• Deers (Cervus, Axis, Rangifer), antelope

(Antilocapra), buffalo (Bison), gazelle
(Gazella), giraffe (Giraffa), okapi (Okapia),
camel (Camelus) etc. Antelope have
speed attainment of 95 km/hr.