1824, "fitted for running," from Late Latin cursorius "pertaining to running" (see cursory) + -al (1). Entomology in a similar sense uses cursorious (by 1829).
Entries linking to cursorial
cursory adj.
"hasty, slight, superficial, careless," c. 1600, from French cursoire "rapid," from Late Latin cursorius "hasty, of a race or running," from Latin curs-, past-participle stem of currere "to run" (from PIE root *kers- "to run"). The literal sense of "running, not stationary" (c. 1600) is obsolete.
-al 1
suffix forming adjectives from nouns or other adjectives, "of, like, related to, pertaining to," Middle English -al, -el, from French or directly from Latin -alis (see -al (2)).