It is very likely that, if anyone is asked what the fastest animal in the world is, the first thing they would answer is the cheetah.
According to scientists, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) reaches an average speed of 64 mph (103 km/h), making it the fastest land animal on the planet.
In fact, according to the Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, some estimates of its maximum speed are around 113 km/h.
However, to find out which is the fastest animal on Earth, it is necessary to dive into the oceans.
Now, a group of researchers from the University of Exeter has found new information about archaea, which, like bacteria, are found in a wide variety of environments.
The scientists focused on the small propellers that these organisms use and that allow them to propel themselves at high speeds, just by spinning an archaellum, a spiral-shaped thread.
The investigation focused on Methanocaldococcus villosusa species found near underwater volcanoes off the coast of Iceland, where water temperatures can exceed 80°C.
“M. villosus swims at a speed of about 500 meters per second. Considering the tiny cell is only a micrometer in size, this means half a millimeter in a second,” says Lavinia Gambelli, from the Living Systems Institute (LSI) in Exeter.
Scientists explain that the great speed that M. villosus can reach makes it one of the fastest organisms on the planet.
“At first glance, this doesn’t seem like much. But, in comparison, a cheetah reaches only 20 body lengths per second, so if a cell of M. villosus were the size of a cheetah, it would swim at about 3,000 kilometers per hour, ”they add those in charge of the study.
Publisher Recommendations
es.digitaltrends.com