Large, heavy animals such as elephants move much more easily than small, seemingly agile mice , a study from the University of Manchester reveals. Specifically, Robert Nudds and his colleagues have shown that larger animals move 3.5 times more efficiently than small ones. The difference, as revealed by Nudds in PLoS ONE magazine, is due to the fact that the former have a more upright posture . "The tendons behave like springs," he explains. ? In large animals, such as an elephant, the tendons are more elastic and store more energy from one step to the next, pushing the legs up.? In contrast, mice "squat" , which increases the energy consumption they need to move.
By studying the animal locomotion of different species and comparing it with the body mass of each individual, the researchers have calculated that small animals have an efficiency of 7% when moving, compared to 26% of larger animals, including humans . that of course walks upright . "It all has to do with posture and not size," Nudds concludes. "Our mothers are right in telling us to walk straight and not stooped!"
