<< See the diagram at left. In 2009, another cheetah named Sarah broke the world record by covering 100 meters in just 13 seconds. Every picture tells a story / Getty Images How Do Cheetahs Run So Fast? A cheetah might run faster if it had "faster" alleles — but if faster alleles are not in the population from mutation or gene flow, evolution in this direction will not happen. Scientific Classification “I was surprised at how well we did,” Lieberman admits. Lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars evolved about 1.6 million years ago. Cheetahs require exceptionally high quantities of oxygen to power their leg muscles. They evolved about 5.5 million years ago along with the golden cats and pumas. Image Source. Cheetah Fast Fact: A cheetah can only maintain its top speed for about 30 seconds and rarely longer than a minute. They routinely reach velocities of 80 to 100 km per hour while they are pursuing a prey. Yes, even faster than Usain Bolt. Did you know the top speed of a cheetah is about 60 to 100 kilometres or 70 miles per hour? How would a biologist explain how the ability to run fast evolved in cheetahs, assuming their ancestors could only run 20 miles per hour? These adaptations allow cheetahs to run faster than any other living species. Not only do they accelerate faster than my truck but faster than most supercars. (It looks a lot like a leopard, but you can tell a cheetah by the bilateral, teardrop-shaped stripes running from either side of its nose to its eyes.) Evolution Cheetahs are special as they are the only member of the genus Acinonyx. This is question is related to the medieval world from my earlier question in which several types of intelligent hominids evolved in isolation, until they were rediscovered, conquered, and bred into a biological caste system by a dominant species.. BACKGROUND. In 2001, a South African male cheetah ran 100 meters in just 19 seconds.The name of the cheetah was Nyana. Exercise in using precise evolutionary terminology: Cheetahs (large African cats) are able to run faster than 60 miles per hour when chasing prey. They are able to accelerate from 0 to 110 km/h (68 mph) in 3 seconds. The cheetah's body is made for speed. Cheetahs evolved a number of adaptations that allow them to catch these swift animals, including non-retractable claws, streamlined bodies and very large lungs. One last cheetah fast fact and I will let you get on with your day. ; In 2015, the same cheetah named Sarah broke her own record of being the fastest runner in 100 meters. How Fast Can a Cheetah Run Mph in 100 meters. To go with my farm-laborers I'd like a warrior hominid that can run incredibly fast. The cheetah can accelerate from 0 – 60 mph in 3 seconds, making it the fastest land animal on the planet. A cheetah uses its tail to help change direction while giving chase. How Fast Can a Cheetah Run? Although they are fast, being sprinters by nature, they can maintain their speed only for short periods of time. Like Bolt, the cheetah is a sprinter – not a long distance runner – and can only attain high speeds in short bursts due to the tremendous drain on its energy resources. The average cat only weighs 125 lbs. Fossils that have been uncovered suggest that cheetahs originated from North America and migrated to the Old World at around 5.5 million years ago. The cheetah is the fastest land animal, achieving a top speed of about 70 mph (113 kph) [sources: Blue Lion, Defenders of Wildlife].This incredible speed comes with a price, though -- a cheetah is a rather puny large cat. It has a small head, flattened rib cage and lean legs to minimize air resistance. I can easily outpace my dog on a long run.” Antelopes and cheetahs sprint as fast as 65 miles an hour but not for very long. “We can’t beat most animals in a sprint, but we best many of them in endurance running. 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