Prehistorical speeds
Stories from Physics
for 11-14
14-16
Analysis of human footprints dating back 20,000 years suggests that one individual, known as T8, was running at 20 km/hr and still accelerating. This is not quite as fast as the current human speed record but nonetheless impressive for an individual running barefoot and in mud. Analysis of archaeological relics has led to the estimation of the velocity of various different weapon systems:
| Weapon | Velocity km/hr |
|---|---|
| Reed Shaft | 217 |
| Apache Arrow | 155 |
| Sioux Arrow | 108 |
| Javelin | 92 |
| 7ft Dart | 76 |
Based on estimates that extrapolate from mammals, it has been calculated that smaller bipedal dinosaurs could travel at 35-40 km/hr while larger bipedal dinosaurs were limited to the range 15-20 km/hr. It is assumed that quadrupedal dinosaurs were restricted to walking pace, with Stegosaurus travelling at a maximum speed of 6-8 km/hr. Well preserved tracks from a ‘dinosaur stampede’ found in Queensland, Australia, gave evidence for coelurosaurs and ornithopods travelling at 13 km/hr and 15.5 km/hr respectively.
References
S. Webb, M. L. Cupper, & R. Robins, Pleistocene human footprints from the Willandra Lakes, southeastern Australia. Journal of Human Evolution, vol. 50, no. 4, 2006, pp. 405-413.
S. S. Hughes, Getting to the point: evolutionary change in prehistoric weaponry. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, vol. 5, no. 4, 1998, 345-408, p. 352
R. A. Thulborn, Speeds and gaits of dinosaurs. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, vol. 38, no. 3-4, 1982, pp. 227-256.
R. A. Thulborn, & M. Wade, Dinosaur stampede in the Cretaceous of Queensland, Lethaia, vol. 12, no. 3, 1979, pp. 275-279, p. 279
