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Page last updated at 13:32 GMT, Wednesday, 24 June 2009 14:32 UK

Greyhound slows to avoid wheelie

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New research by the Royal Veterinary College and the University of Liverpool shows that quadrupeds - four-footed animals - are not limited by their muscle power in acceleration from rest, as had previously been assumed.

The study found the animals are limited by their need to avoid a nose-up or tail-up situation in which they gain less traction - analogous to a bicycle or race car doing a "wheelie".

The greyhound in this footage demonstrates the motion, with front feet slipping before gaining traction.

The Biology Letters study shows that at higher speeds, muscle power is the limiting factor in an animal's acceleration.

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