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In lugnet.starwars, Jason J. Railton writes:
> In lugnet.starwars, Mark Chittenden writes:
>
> Small quadraped animals (dogs, for example) have reversed knees on the back
> legs, for running. Very large ones (elephants, or dinosaurs like
> diplodocus) have/had reversed knees on the front legs, for better balance.
> The only quadraped that walks with four forward knees is two men in a
> pantomime horse, but that's how AT-ATs walk.
Weeelllll, technically, that's not right. All mammals have knees that bend in
the same basic direction - as long as you have a consistent definition for a
knee. In most mammals, though, the thigh bone is much shorter and compacted
into the body, with a much elongated shin and, usually, a much elongated
"foot".
This picture shows it pretty well:
http://www.specificbreeds.com/html/skeleton.html
If you look at the outline, you can see why it is that we don't really notice
the knee, per se - it is hidden in the structure of the upper leg and body.
Take your dog, for example. What you are calling its "knee" is actually its
ankle (analogizing to human anatomy). It's foot is long and thin, and doesn't
really touch the ground - instead, your dog walks, basically, on his toes only.
Personally, I find the most interesting manifestation of this to be the dog's
dew claws ... which is analogous to our thumb. (or big toe, as the case may
be).
Perhaps this should follow up to OT.fun.dogsfeet?
-s
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: It's perfect!
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| (...) Bad form, but I'm replying to my own message - 'cause I forgot to tie it into Star Wars. I did a quick study a couple of years ago on the AT-ST. If you check out the pictures from the movie, you can see that the AT-ST does indeed have a knee (...) (21 years ago, 8-Jan-03, to lugnet.starwars, lugnet.build.mecha)
| | | Re: It's perfect!
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| (...) Okay, so I'm wrong about animal skeletons. The equivalent for mammals then is for you to get down on all fours and walk on knuckles and tiptoes, with your knees facing forward and your elbows facing backward. Nevertheless, the AT-AT doesn't (...) (21 years ago, 9-Jan-03, to lugnet.starwars, lugnet.build.mecha)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: It's perfect!
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| (...) I can't remember exactly, but were some speeder bikes added in the Special Edition? As for the new figures, the driver just looks like a Stormtrooper torso and helmet with light grey arms and legs - I converted my two Tie-Fighter Stormtroopers (...) (21 years ago, 8-Jan-03, to lugnet.starwars, lugnet.build.mecha)
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