ABSTRACT
With some notable exceptions (e.g., pinnipeds and bats), running is critical to the survival of most mammals. Running is the primary way in which most prey species (such as many rodents and ungulates) escape predators, and many carnivores (such as felids and canids) capture prey. Depending on the species, running can be important in other contexts, including agonistic encounters, mating, and the defense of one’s young. Selection pressures for running abilities in some species have been so strong that some of the fastest animals on earth are large carnivores such as the cheetah, along with some of the ungulate species on which they feed.
