“The bigger you are, the harder you fall,” said John Hutchinson, an expert on large animal locomotion at the Royal Veterinary College in Britain. “If an elephant falls, it’s in big trouble.”But scientists knew little about how elephants maintain their stability as they lumber across the landscape. A new study, published in Biology Letters on Wednesday in Britain, suggests that visual feedback helps elephants time their strides. “Our elephants were going slowly, very slowly, a really slow walk,” said Dr. Hutchinson, a co-author of the study. Otherwise, I would never have done the experiment.”Studies have shown that visual feedback helps humans fine-tune their steps.

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Persons: ”, John Hutchinson, it’s, Hutchinson Organizations: Royal Veterinary College, Hollywood Locations: Britain