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--common facts and values for cheetah speed, stride length, acceleration rate, etc.
--everything they do to survive is based on being able to sprint quickly
--ask: how is the cheetah able to run at such amazing speeds?

--Hildebrand, M. 1961. Further Studies on Locomotion of the Cheetah. J. Mammal. 42: 84-91.

Evolution of Speed

--put in a figure of a phylogenetic tree of the evolution of a cheetah
--show how physiology is different than other big cats because evolved earlier
--specialization to their habitat and environmental conditions

--Christiansen, P. and J.H. Mazak. 2009. A primitive Late Pliocene cheetah, and evolution of the cheetah lineage. National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 106: 512-515.
--Mills, M.G.L., Broomhall, L.S. and J.T. du Toit. 2004. Cheetah acinonyx jubatus feeding ecology in the Kruger National Park and a comparison across African savanna habitats: is the cheetah only a successful hunter on open grassland plains? Wildlife Biology 10:177-186.

Built for Speed: Cheetah Anatomy

---musculoskeletal anatomy including spine, legs, bones, and muscles
-claws and paws for better running
--head and tail designed for control
--large organs, large eyes, large nostrils
--explanation of each of these adaptations and how they allow for greater speed

--Hudson, P. E., Corr, S. A., Payne-Davis, R. C., Clancy, S. N., Lane, E. and A. M. Wilson. 2011. Functional anatomy of the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) hindlimb. Journal of Anatomy 218: 363–374.
--Russell, A.P. and H.N. Bryant. 2001. Claw retraction and protraction in the Carnivora: the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) as an atypical felid. Journal of Zoology 254: 67-76.
--Hudson, P., Clancy, S., Lane, E., Corr, S., Wilson, A., and R. Payne. 2008. Built for speed? Anatomy of the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and the greyhound (Canis familiaris). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A Molecular & Integrative Physiology 150: S70.

Variation in Speed

--cheetahs can run for longer periods of time at slightly slower speeds
--burst of energy at the end
--variation used for hunting tactics and other cats would not do this
--figure of speed vs. distance of cheetah, horse, and man

--Hudson, P. E., Corr, S.A., and A.M. Wilson. 2010. Galloping at high speed: insights from cheetahs and racing greyhounds. Integrative and Comparative Biology 50: E79-E79.
--Hildebrand, M. 1961. Further Studies on Locomotion of the Cheetah. J. Mammal. 42: 84-91.
--Hildebrand, M. 1959. Motions of the Running Cheetah and Horse. J. Mammal. 40: 481-495.

Acceleration Capabilities

--heart rate accelerates quickly so they can accelerate quickly
--change in stride length causes for a quicker acceleration
--last burst of energy to catch the prey
--figure of the cheetah stride compared to a horses

--Hildebrand, M. 1961. Further Studies on Locomotion of the Cheetah. J. Mammal. 42: 84-91.
--Hildebrand, M. 1959. Motions of the Running Cheetah and Horse. J. Mammal. 40: 481-495.

Energy Use in the Body

--how cheetah gains energy in the body
--how energy is used in the muscles and enzyme envolvement (biochemical pathways)
--muscle fiber activity
--differences in energy needed for different running speeds and distances

--Williams T.M., Dobson G.P., Mathieu-Costello O., Morsbach D., and M.B. Worley. 1997. Skeletal muscle histology and bio-
chemistry of an elite sprinter, the African cheetah. J Comp
Physiol B 167: 527–535.

Respiration and Gas Exchange

--oxygen consumption in the body (enlarged respiratory system)
--difference in the cheetahs breathing rates
--the use of hyperventilation after a chase

--Bell, K.M. 2010. Spot the Difference: Are Cheetahs Really Just Big Cats: Using the  Domestic Cat as a Model for the Nutritional Management of Captive Cheetahs. Nottingham England: Nottingham University Press.
--Bertolizio, G., Mason, L. and B. Bissonnette. 2011. Brain temperature: heat production, elimination and clinical relevance. Pediatric Anesthesia 21:347-358.

Cooling Down and Recuperating

--the use of energy causes for a rapid temperature increase
--temperature control
--has to cool its body before eating or running anymore
--negatives of having to do this

--Heinrich, B. Why have some Animals Evolved to Regulate a High Body Temperature?. The American Naturalist 11: 623-640. 
--Taylor, C.R., and V.J. Rowntree. 1973. Temperature regulation and heat balance in running cheetahs: a strategy for sprinters?.  American Journal of Physiology 224:848-851

Speed Dependence for Survival

--speed is the only way to catch their prey
--they are weak in many different body parts so cannot fight for prey
--need to escape predators that they cannot fight
--negatives vs. positives of such great speeds

--Hunter, J.S., Durant, S.M., and T.M. Caro.  2007. To flee or not to flee: predator avoidance by cheetahs at kills. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 61: 1033-1042.
--Myers, N. 1976 The Cheetah in Africa Under Threat. Environmental Affaris 5: 617-647.