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Humans Born to Run
chia_monkey writes "This article in MSNBC says humans were born to run. 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. The article also goes on to talk about our rumps: Big buttocks are also important. 'Have you ever looked at an ape? They have no buns,' said Bramble."
Nature apparently agrees with Sir Mix-A-lot
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Hasn't Bruce Springsteen been saying that for quite some time?
Common sense should tell you that humans aren't born to run. It seems like any large predator I can think off can easily outrun a human in a sprint, which makes long distance running worthless.
For catching herbivores, running is about as handy. Running is highly inefficient, and takes up alot of energy. You are jumping repeatedly, lifting your own weight every step. Think about it, how far can you run?
Walking however...that's where it's at. Humans can walk for as long as they want. Walking is just the art of falling forward and catching yourself. Walking requires almost no energy or effort for two legged humans. That's not the case with four legged animals. Four legged animals can't fall forward, they have to expend energy to walk, meaning that walking is actually exausting for them. Humans have other mechanisms to help them in in long distance travel. We have no fur, and we can sweat. Our body frame helps us release heat. Other animals don't have these traits. They do overheat. Anybody who owns a dog knows the scenario. Their dog(even the small ones) can easily out sprint them. Take the dog for a walk however, and after an amount of the time, the dog will get exausted. You can't walk a dog for hours. They just can't release the accumlated heat. Humans didn't out-run their prey, they outwalked their prey. It may have taken several hours, but any animal would eventually succumb to heat stroke, and that is when the human could strike.
As for the assumption that running is what brought us down from the trees...get real. Bi-pedality gives one amazing advantage 4 legged animals don't have...ARMS!!! Now you can carry your young, your stick, your stone, your food. If you had to choose between giving up your ability to run, or your arms, which would you give up? Sure, to a man in the wild, running might be more important to him then it is to you, but even he would be absolutely worthless without his arms.
This isn't all to say we don't have some adaptations which help us run. It is to say that the idea humans were born to run is inane.
Sangloth
I'd appreciate any comment with a logical basis...it doesn't even have to agree with me.