[extropy-chat] on Spike's big ass theory

[Alejandro Dubrovsky]

(
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=570&ncid=753&e=2&u=/nm/20041117/sc_nm/science_running_dc
)
By Patricia Reaney
Humans Were Born to Run, Scientists Say

LONDON (Reuters) - Humans were born to run and evolved from ape-like
creatures into the way they look today probably because of the need to
cover long distances and compete for food, scientists said on Wednesday.



>From tendons and ligaments in the legs and feet that act like springs
and skull features that help prevent overheating, to well-defined
buttocks that stabilize the body, the human anatomy is shaped for
running. 

....

"There were 2.5 million to 3 million years of bipedal walking without
ever looking like a human, so is walking going to be what suddenly
transforms the hominid body?" said Bramble. 

"We're saying 'no, walking won't do that, but running will."' 

If natural selection did not favor running, the scientists believe
humans would still look a lot like apes. 

"Running has substantially shaped human evolution. Running made us human
-- at least in the anatomical sense," Bramble added. 

Among the features that set humans apart from apes to make them good
runners are longer legs to take longer strides, shorter forearms to
enable the upper body to counterbalance the lower half during running
and larger disks which allow for better shock absorption. 

Big buttocks are also important.


 

"Have you ever looked at an ape? They have no buns," said Bramble.

Humans lean forward when they run and the buttocks "keep you from
pitching over on your nose each time a foot hits the ground," he added.