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A Human on a Bicycle Is among the Most Efficient Forms of Travel in the Animal Kingdom | Scientific American

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We’re celebrating 180 years of Scientific American. Explore our legacy of discovery and look ahead to the future. Join Our Community of Science Lovers! Humans aren’t very efficient movers—until you put us on a bicycle, when we become some of the most energy-efficient land travelers in the animal kingdom. For Scientific American’s 180th birthday, we’ve updated a classic graphic comparing different forms of animal locomotion, first published in this magazine in 1973. Travel involves two main expenditures of energy: fighting gravity and propelling yourself forward. Most terrestrial animals must expend energy first to stand up, then to take each step forward. (Longer-legged land creatures tend to be more efficient because they get more distance out of each step, which explains why mice are so inefficient.) Flying animals, though, can move forward cheaply by gliding through the air, carried more by currents than by their own power. Swimming animals can similarly glide through water while le

October 14, 2025 2 min read Add Us On Google Add SciAm A Classic Graphic Reveals Nature's Most Efficient Traveler A famous graphic, now updated, compares locomotion in the animal kingdom By Allison Parshall & DTAN Studio edited by Jen Christiansen & Clara Moskowitz DTAN Studio We're celebrating 180 years of Scientific American . Explore our legacy of discovery and look ahead to the future. Join Our Community of Science Lovers! Sign Up for Our Free Daily Newsletter Enter your email I agree my information will be processed in accordance with the Scientific American and Springer Nature Limited Pr

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