what's more odd is that "...locomotion closely resembled that of insects and arthropods, scurrying along faster and faster with no change to the basic step patt

what's more odd is that "...locomotion closely resembled that of insects and arthropods, scurrying along faster and faster with no change to the basic step pattern" is completely wrong. many insects and arthropods change gaits/step patterns with speed. it's practically required, as you get beyond optimal energetics pretty quickly (like being stuck in the wrong gear too long on a bike). cockroaches, for instance, only use their back 4 legs when 'running', and will use only their back 2 legs when all out 'sprinting'. we humans start jogging and then running as speed increases for the same reason, it's not energetically efficient to just 'walk faster'.