Larger Kangaroos Leap Farther, Researchers Find : Science File / An exploration of issues and trends affecting science, medicine and the environment
<i> From Times staff writers</i>
Big ‘roos bounce better--and a couple of Australian researchers believe they can explain why.
Reporting in Nature, M.B. Bennett and G.C. Taylor of the University of Queensland found that when the feet of a kangaroo hit the ground, the tendons in its hind legs stretch like rubber bands, absorbing part of the energy. As the kangaroo begins its next hop, the tendons contract and shoot the animal forward.
The larger the kangaroo, the greater the strain on the tendons. That increases the amount of energy that can be stored between hops and allows for more efficient hops, the researchers said. The benefit peaks at about 130 pounds. Larger kangaroos would strain the tendons to the breaking point, the researchers said.
