| 释义 |
pentapedal, a. Zool.|ˌpɛntəˈpiːdəl|
[f. penta- + pedal a.1: cf. bipedal a.]
Five-legged; spec. designating a method of locomotion, used by kangaroos at slow speeds, in which the hind legs alternate with the fore legs and tail in supporting the body.
1973Dawson & Taylor in Nature 30 Nov. 313/2 At low speeds the kangaroo does not hop but moves by what can perhaps best be described as a ‘pentapedal type’ of locomotion, since the animal uses its heavy tail as a fifth leg. 1976Ibid. 29 Jan. 306/2 The pentapedal gait of large kangaroos at slow speeds may reflect a partial answer to this problem, since anatomical specialisations limit the use of quadrupedal locomotion. 1980Endeavour IV. 148/2 Once the animal was hopping, (rather than ‘creeping’ along the ground using all four limbs and the tail—called pentapedal gait), there was an actual decrease in oxygen consumption with further increases in hopping speed.
So pentaˈpedally adv.
1973Dawson & Taylor in Nature 30 Nov. 313/2 The increase in speed while moving pentapedally was achieved primarily by increasing stride frequency. |