Cursoriality: are there any advantages to it in a fight?

[Infinity Blade]

Can anyone think of any advantages cursoriality can provide an animal in a hypothetical fight? Only stamina comes to mind for me.

[Deleted]

It has a better ability to flee from the fight if it loses XD

But as for the fight itself, not much really.

[Venomous Dragon]

stamina

[theropod]

Cursorial animals sometimes have potent kicks (e.g. ratites, equids, giraffes) because those are dependant on the same set of features necessary for cursoriality.

[creature386]

I wonder if one could also count height as a possible advantage, as they usually have longer legs. I know, this is if anything an extremely minor advantage (and brings probably as many disadvantages as advantages), but I cannot think of a lot else than what was mentioned.

P.S. As for stamina, I am not sure if running stamina also increases stamina in a fight (given that their stamina of cursorial animals usually comes from an energy efficient running style). I guess kicking is the main advantage it cursoriality can bring.

[Venomous Dragon]

Oct 31, 2015 15:53:49 GMT 5 creature386 said:

I wonder if one could also count height as a possible advantage, as they usually have longer legs. I know, this is if anything an extremely minor advantage (and brings probably as many disadvantages as advantages), but I cannot think of a lot else than what was mentioned.

P.S. As for stamina, I am not sure if running stamina also increases stamina in a fight (given that their stamina of cursorial animals usually comes from an energy efficient running style). I guess kicking is the main advantage it cursoriality can bring.

effecient running styles and often superior oxygen intake, which translates to superior stamina.

[full]

Oct 31, 2015 15:53:49 GMT 5 creature386 said:

I wonder if one could also count height as a possible advantage, as they usually have longer legs. I know, this is if anything an extremely minor advantage (and brings probably as many disadvantages as advantages), but I cannot think of a lot else than what was mentioned.

P.S. As for stamina, I am not sure if running stamina also increases stamina in a fight (given that their stamina of cursorial animals usually comes from an energy efficient running style). I guess kicking is the main advantage it cursoriality can bring.

I'd definitley say that cursorial species have more stamina in both the contexts of fighting and hunting. There are accounts of dogs fighting each other intensley for 15 minutes and upwards, even  for hours in some cases.

I know the "lack of stamina" card is often overplayed when it comes to felids, but I really can't imagine a cat being able to do the same, their fights are much more flurried. 

[Infinity Blade]

I wonder what evolutionary pressures--or really a lack thereof--existed to make dogs and hyenas not need offensive kicking.

[Venomous Dragon]

Apr 16, 2016 8:28:52 GMT 5 Infinity Blade said:

I wonder what evolutionary pressures--or really a lack thereof--existed to make dogs and hyenas not need offensive kicking.

no need to develop offensive kicks when already have a weapon specifically designed to injure and kill other animals

[Infinity Blade]

But that wouldn't necessarily have to preclude the evolution of other weapons. I mean, for example, raptorial odontocetes already have jaws that are well-designed for seriously injuring and dispatching prey, yet they also ram things.

[theropod]

Ramming behaviour is likely to be plesiomorphic for cetaceans, being widespread within cetartiodactyla (hippopotamuses, bovids…). It doesn’t take much to retain or further develop this feature, especially since in the case of cetaceans it comes as a by-product of sorts with their other adaptions, especially in odontocetes (a fully aquatic animal already has the loss of cervical mobility and the head aligned with the axis of the body, and the melon’s use for ramming is secondary to its use in echolocation).

Most canids are relatively small to begin with, so that already makes kicking less effective as a serious weapon because they lack the weight, power and long legs for it. Then, they don’t have large claws or hooves, which are found in animals that kick offensively or defensively, and evolving these structures might entail disadvantages in other regards. And finally, being quadrupeds, their forelimbs, which aren’t well-suited for kicking, are in the way, and offensive kicking is certainly a lot more useful when directed forwards.

So I guess this question is a little like asking why dogs don’t have sharp claws even though cats do. They don’t need it, and it would interfere with the way they work.

[Infinity Blade]

I think I now realize what disadvantages big, long claws on a canid might entail; domestic dogs and the matter of trimming their claws might give us a hint (link).

If the claws/nails become too long, that can actually mess up the alignment of the phalanges and create long term health issues. In particular, joint pain and arthritis (from joint pressure resulting from an unnatural phalangeal alignment). So in a wild canid, given the way their phalanges articulate, having long claws that could potentially damage another animal (if they could even apply enough force if the claws remain blunt), may, in the long term, be more detrimental to health/survival.

[dinosauria101]

Being cursorial would help greatly in a fight like this:
theworldofanimals.proboards.com/thread/1829
Carnotaurus was very cursorial and was also able to swing its head downwards at great speed and great force. This adaptation for the fight's circumastances, as well as Pachycrocuta being a relatively slow and heavyset animal, would likely give Carnotaurus the win. And as others have said, cursorial animals can kick and run over their foes, and it's not implausible to assume Carnotaurus would do so as well.