How Did Lupe Walk?
Mammoths are quadrupeds. They walk on four feet. Humans are bipeds — we walk on two feet.
Mammoths, like elephants, walked with one foot in front of the other placed firmly on the ground. Mammoths could run, but when they did, they always had one foot on the ground. This is different from most other mammals. If you watch a cheetah run, when they are running at full speed, none of their feet touch the ground.
When we walk, we walk on our feet. Unlike humans, mammoths actually walked and stood on their toes! They had a large pad in between their toes that added support to their feet so they could stand on their toes. Several other types of mammals do this as well, like horses, cats and dogs.
The next time you run, check to see if you run like a mammoth or a cheetah.
- How tall was Lupe?
- How much did Lupe weigh?
- How old was Lupe?
- How does a femur grow?
- How did Lupe walk?
<< Back to More about mammoths.
