digitigrade mammal

Thân thiện

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A mammal that walks on its toes: A digitigrade mammal is an animal that walks with only its toes (digits) touching the ground, while the heel and wrist are raised. This posture is characteristic of many fast-running animals.

Usage

• The term is used in zoological and anatomical contexts to describe a specific locomotion style in mammals.
• It is often contrasted with "plantigrade" (walking with the entire foot on the ground, like humans and bears) and "unguligrade" (walking on hooves, like deer and horses).

Examples

• Noun:
  • The cheetah is a classic example of a digitigrade mammal, which contributes to its incredible speed.
  • Cats and dogs are digitigrade mammals, unlike humans who are plantigrade.

Advanced Usage

• In Evolutionary Biology: The digitigrade stance is often discussed as an adaptation for cursorial (running) locomotion, providing advantages in speed and stride length.
  • The evolution of a digitigrade posture was a key development in the lineage of predatory mammals.

Variants and Related Words

• Digitigrade (adj): Describing the posture or manner of walking.
  • Dogs have a digitigrade stance.
• Digitigrady (n): The condition of being digitigrade.

Synonyms

• Toe-walker (informal/broad)
• Cursorial mammal (emphasizes the running adaptation often associated with digitigrady)

Different Meanings

• This is a specialized zoological term with a single, precise meaning related to mammalian locomotion. It does not have common alternative meanings.

Idioms

• There are no common idioms using the specific term "digitigrade mammal."

Phrasal Verbs

• There are no phrasal verbs associated with the noun "digitigrade mammal."

Học thuật

Noun

1. an animal that walks so that only the toes touch the ground as e.g. dogs and cats and horses

Từ đồng nghĩa

• digitigrade