Definition

Adjective: * Adapted for running: Describes limbs, feet, or an animal's physical structure that is specifically suited for running as a primary mode of locomotion.

Usage and Examples

• Adjective:
  • Horses and ostriches are cursorial animals, built for speed on open ground.
  • The cheetah's lightweight skeleton and long limbs are classic cursorial adaptations.
  • Scientists study the cursorial morphology of certain dinosaurs to understand how they moved.

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in biological, zoological, and paleontological contexts to classify and describe an organism's locomotive specialization. It is the opposite of "fossorial" (adapted for digging) or "arboreal" (adapted for living in trees).
• "Cursorial adaptation": A specific physical trait that enhances running ability.
  • The elongation of the metatarsal bones is a key cursorial adaptation in many mammals.

Variants and Related Words

• Cursoriality (noun): The quality of being adapted for running.
  • The degree of cursoriality varies greatly among bird species.

Synonyms

• Running-adapted
• Swift-footed (more general, less scientific)

Antonyms

• Fossorial (adapted for digging)
• Arboreal (adapted for living in trees)
• Aquatic (adapted for living in water)

Adjective

1. (of limbs and feet) adapted for running