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Unlike me, my dogs bound up hills as easily as they run on the flat. Does having four legs aid with climbing, or are the dogs just fitter than me?
Andrew Carothers
Edinburgh, UK
The biologist and evolutionary theorist John Maynard Smith originally qualified and practised as an engineer, giving him unique insights into physical constraints on living organisms. His book, , devotes a section to examining how size affects the ability of animals to move uphill.
By considering the scaling effects of rate of metabolic heat loss, rate of oxygen supply and stresses on bones and…
