COULD TYRANNOSAURUS RUN FAST? - Mechanical Power Calculation for 15.7 m/s Tyrannosaurus Running

Yoshiyuki Usami

2011

Abstract

Running ability of large bepidal theropod Tyrannosaurus is studied with the use of evolutionary computational method. In 2002 Hutchinson and Garcia published a paper titled as "Tyrannosaurus was not a fast runner" (Hutchinson and Garcia, 2002). They postulated an arbitrary mid-stance posture in running motion, and calculated required muscle mass of the hind limb. This method can not tell information on running speed, because it is a static method. Then, running speed of Tyrannosaurus could not be evaluated quantitatively. We accomplished numerical simulation to obtain whole running motion of Tyrannosaurus with the use of evolutionary computation method. As a result, we have obtained running motion of Tyrannosaurus in a speed of 15.7 m/s within allowed parameters range. We have discussed on mechanical power output of the running motion of Tyrannosaurus for the first time in this research area. As for a problem of the simulation algorithm, there is room to improve simple evolutionary computation method applied in the present work. Generally, a solution of evolutionary computation method falls into a local minimum. However, finding the global minimum of the evaluation function i.e., velocity and vertical acceleration are needed for this problem. Then, developing such an algorithm is left as the future problem.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Usami Y. (2011). COULD TYRANNOSAURUS RUN FAST? - Mechanical Power Calculation for 15.7 m/s Tyrannosaurus Running . In Proceedings of the International Conference on Evolutionary Computation Theory and Applications - Volume 1: ECTA, (IJCCI 2011) ISBN 978-989-8425-83-6, pages 13-22. DOI: 10.5220/0003652100130022

in Bibtex Style

@conference{ecta11,
author={Yoshiyuki Usami},
title={COULD TYRANNOSAURUS RUN FAST? - Mechanical Power Calculation for 15.7 m/s Tyrannosaurus Running},
booktitle={Proceedings of the International Conference on Evolutionary Computation Theory and Applications - Volume 1: ECTA, (IJCCI 2011)},
year={2011},
pages={13-22},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0003652100130022},
isbn={978-989-8425-83-6},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF
JO - Proceedings of the International Conference on Evolutionary Computation Theory and Applications - Volume 1: ECTA, (IJCCI 2011)
TI - COULD TYRANNOSAURUS RUN FAST? - Mechanical Power Calculation for 15.7 m/s Tyrannosaurus Running
SN - 978-989-8425-83-6
AU - Usami Y.
PY - 2011
SP - 13
EP - 22
DO - 10.5220/0003652100130022