INTRODUCTION: We are now in a
position to conclude this research project. The sole remaining steps are:
1. Determine speed and stride length relationship for a suitable modern dinosaur analog.
We have identified humans as suitable locomotor analogs for bipedal dinosaurs, so what we
need to do is to determine the stride length of a willing test subject moving at different
speeds. This is the main object of this lab.
2. Plot the data resulting from the above testing, and using the stride length of the
dinosaur trackway outside the lecture room, find the speed of the dinosaur from the human
speed trial data.
A speed trial will be done on Tuesday, May 15, during regular class time, so that you may
do the necessary experiment together with other students at this time. However, you may,
if you wish, perform the necessary speed testing yourself; it is not necessary to
come to class on the 15th to do this. If you choose to perform the test yourself, you
will have to act as the test specimen, data recorder, and timer - all at once. This is not
terribly difficult, however, if you follow the outline of the testing procedure described
below.
For those of you, who plan to attend the in-class speed trial test, meet in 4152N at
9:25 AM. We will then go out on the quadrangle to do the testing.
