Running 'key to human evolution'(body evolved to support long distance running)

BBC NEWS ^ | 11/18/04 | n/a

[TigerLikesRooster]

Running 'key to human evolution'

People run to keep fit today but our ancestors ran for different reasons

Long-distance running may have been a driving force behind evolution of the modern human body, scientists say. American researchers said humans began endurance running about 2 million years ago to help hunt for prey, influencing the development of the human body.

Previous studies have suggested running was purely a by-product of walking.

But the study, published in Nature, said humans evolved big buttocks, a balanced head and longer legs to help gather food.

Professor Dennis Bramble, of the University of Utah, and Professor Daniel Lieberman, of Harvard University, reported that early human beings may have needed to run long distances to help hunt prey or scavenge animal carcasses on the African savannah.

Without the development from running, humans would be much more like apes with shorter legs, smaller heads and a hunched posture, the scientists said.

While human are poor sprinters in comparison with many animals, they perform well when it comes to long-distance running.

After examining 26 human body features essential for endurance running, the pair concluded humans may have evolved as they did from their ape-like ancestors because they could run long-distances.

Important attributes for endurance running include skull structure to prevent over-heating, ligaments to give spring, long legs to increase stride length and independent head and shoulder movement to aid balance.

The scientists said because of natural selection, our ape-like ancestors known as Australophithecus, who were good at running, survived, while shorter-legged ancestors died out.

Professor Bramble said: "Today endurance running is primarily a form of exercise and recreation but its roots may be as ancient as the origin of the human genus and its demands a major contributing factor to the human body form.

"Running may have helped hunters get close enough to throw projectiles or perhaps even to run some mammals to exhaustion in the heat."

Professor Chris Stringer, head of human origins at the Natural History Museum in London, said the findings were "plausible" and provided a "valuable fresh look at our anatomy and some of its special features".

"Although it will require much more complete evidence for the evolution of the skeleton of early humans below the neck to test their ideas properly."

[Doc Savage]

So the human body "consciously" stated to itself, "Self, we need to evolve into a running body form!"

Not a bad trick. Since each individual mutation (of which the vast majority are lethal)has no way of self-directing itself, nor determining it's individual outcome as being positive or negative to the species, we must conclude that either this was a "directed" natural selection or an accident, or never occurred.

Evolution is a theory. An unproven theory. There are other theories, and there may someday be additional theories as to how we came to exist as we are. I don't know the answer myself, but clearly evolution has holes in it big enough to drive logic through.

[rjsimmons]

"Developed to run"? This so-called scientist comes up with long distance running as another "proof" to evolution? That they needed to run long distances to find food?

Yeah, sure, they needed to run 26 miles to get a rabbit. Like a cheetah.

Somehow our bone structure tells a different story.

[PMCarey]

But the study, published in Nature, said humans evolved big buttocks, a balanced head and longer legs to help gather food.

I can get the same result sitting in my recliner watching football ...

[Gingersnap]

"Look at how tribes like the Bushmen hunt."

Well, I know but that's first thing everybody says. What about the way the Inuit hunt or the way the Celts hunted? Where I live, the Indians used to drive pronghorn and buffalo over small cliffs into dry washes. They didn't run, they walked (and later rode).

I guess I'm just not totally convinced.

[rjsimmons]

Quote

Look at how tribes like the Bushmen hunt. They chase an animal. It runs away. They follow and chase it some more. It runs away again. Do that for a few miles and it collapses from heat exhaustion because humans are among the best at getting rid of heat from the body. (of course sitting in a deer blind with some beer is a lot easier).

Not exactly. They organize a hunting party and set out to their favored spot and wait. They lay in wait until the animal of choice comes into the kill zone and then they begin to herd it into their ambush where those with spears or atl-atl's let loose their weapon. If the animal survives, then they track it down. If it escapes, then they repeat the initial process.

[TalonDJ]

Just how many bones are there from our so called ancestors below the neck?

Exactly, most of the fanciful trees the draw of human development are derived from a couple of skulls that have been found. Most or all which can be explained by individual mutations of a single human or sub group of humans. I was under the impression that scientists were suppose to seek the simplest solution that fits the evidence instead of the most fanciful based on eons of luck and some shared features. The human body does a LOT of things well running is just one of them. 26 traits they studied? The human body could be broken down in to thousands, even millions, of traits.

[Uncle George]

"When Better Bodies are Built, God Will Build Them".

[megatherium]

So why are we not covered with fur? Fur provides a natural covering so that we do not need to develop clothing, etc.

We don't have fur so we do not overheat when we run in hot weather. We also have the ability to perspire over our entire bodies, another adaptation for running in the heat. Humans are not engineered for speed the way a cheetah is, but instead for endurance: a healthy, fit human can run for hours without a break even in hot weather. (I'm not an impressive physical specimen, but I can run for an hour at a 9 minute pace.) Very few mammals can do this.

According to the logic of evolution, the mere fact we have this remarkable ability implies that we evolved to have it -- our ancestors ran.

[gdani]

Discussed at length yesterday:

Humans Were Born to Run, Scientists Say
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1282245/posts

[TalonDJ]

Yup, and some tribes somewhere lost in time 'hunted' by stealing baby animals and rising them in pens. Or following herds of animals that were somewhat easy to bring down with a spear of sling.

A real scientist does not mix up cause and effect randomly and assume intent. I have often thought the human leg structure was designed *cough* evolved for sitting on a nice padded buttocks for long periods of time. Soooo did we evolve to sit for long time waiting for prey? I use to think scientists put more thought into their work. Now I know better.

[NoClones]

It is an interesting theory.

Here is my experience on this subject:
Used to be a financially succussful middle distance & sometime distance runner.

A few times I recall doing what for me were very mild cross-country training runs with my sisters dobermans. The first time was in 1985 with one dog and the second time was in 1987 with another dog. Both dogs were dobermans. The first dog was a male, the second was a female. Both times were in the summer with the temperature in the middle 70's. Both dogs had to be put down not long afterwards. I recall the pacing was nothing difficult, about 5:00 to 5:30 per mile pace over about 3 miles. Both dobermans were considered very active, but after the first mile they seemed to loose interest.

Did not realize what was happening at the time and regret it. Only later in a conversation with another competitive runner who is also a dog-owner saying that he would never put his dog through the sorts of training that a class runner does on a routine basis since they just aren't built for it.

[smcmike]

Balding doesn't seem like it would play much of a factor in evolution: For the majority of humanity's history, we haven't lived long enough to go bald, and we still usually reproduce before we do!

[Popman]

I was under the impression that scientists were suppose to seek the simplest solution that fits the evidence instead of the most fanciful based on eons of luck and some shared features.

They normally do except in the case where "God" might manifest.

That would make them ignorant.

< / sarcasm >

[katana]

I've always thought our uniqueness among primates (upright posture, lack of fur, large brain, subcutaneous fat layer) indicated that we evolved in an aquatic environment, probably along some ancient sea shores which are now long lost to geologic change. That would make the long distance running ability a happy coincidental benefit which our ancestors took advantage of when they returned to the land.

I know the creationists here may jump all over that comment. But let me point out that I respect their right to express their beliefs not because I agree with their conclusions but because they're correct in pointing out that darwinism is a theory. I happen to believe that the basics of that theory are most likely true (I take great exception to a lot of the details which anthropologists treat as "fact") but the dogmatic suppression of alternative ideas, theories, or beliefs is wrong.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #34

Living in aquatic environment is another strong possibility. Even primates walk on two feet when they cross a body of water.

[Moosilauke]

Well said!!

[Truth666]

Evolution hoax and conspiracy to destroy running -Jeremy Wariner, first white american to enter the top ten of global sports
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1197709/posts

[Paloma_55]

Look at how tribes like the Bushmen hunt. They chase an animal. It runs away. They follow and chase it some more. It runs away again. Do that for a few miles and it collapses from heat exhaustion because humans are among the best at getting rid of heat from the body. (of course sitting in a deer blind with some beer is a lot easier).

If you think about it, the Bushmen are an example that argues against evolution.

Their "adaptation" appears to have been dramatically stunted by the failure to use their brain. Yet, I would argue, if you took a bushbaby and raised it in the USA, fed it good food, and treated it as any other citizen, it could be the next Einstein.

What this tells me is that culture is more important than genetics toward our adaptation and advancement as a civilization.

Therefore, it is the culture that brought us here that we should fight to protect. Let it grow and adapt, but don't replace it with a culture (or cultures) that have demonstrated their failure to succeeed.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks TLR. A coworker of mine was attributing his recent heart trouble (stents req) to "genetics" -- and yesterday he ate BBQ and chips. ;')

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[SunkenCiv]

Well put. Humans also mimicked existing predators, doing the creep-up-on from downwind. Some prey species also have limited territories, making it possible to get them cornered. In North America there's the old kill site, "Head Bashed In" (translation) I think in western Canada, where herds were herded into a sort of funnel and over a cliff. Techniques were more important than long distance running. Probably the only role LDR played was in flight from danger -- and most of that danger was probably other humans, since (as you note) many animals outrun us.