News: HUMANS BORN TO BE ENDURANCE RUNNERS: ANTHROPOLOGISTS

[Dave Noisy]

Interesting story:

HUMANS BORN TO BE ENDURANCE RUNNERS: ANTHROPOLOGISTS

It's our ability to run, not walk, that sets humans apart as the world's
dominant species, researchers say.

FULL STORY:
http://www.cbc.ca/story/science/nationa ... 41118.html

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On a similar note, did you know that humans can cover more distance over long distances *faster* than any other land animal?

There's a race in the UK, between humans and horses, and the humans win!

[Oak]

Thanks Dave,

It's an interesting point of view - obviously being bipedal has had some evelotionary adavantage - something to do with covering greater distances. Why not run?

but have you heard that evolution doesn't appear to have evolved us decent knees for running

We still have some remains of brachiation. Our grip for instance and our forward facing eyes.

If we were to evolve for another million years would we get weaker or stronger - i think that possibly we would get weaker and more brainy

Oak

[JP]

fairly non-vegan example, but the bushmen of kalahari in botswana who use traditional huntin measures use running to catch their pray. This is a deer like pray we are talking about. Of course they can't sprint to get the deer/impala or whatever hooved animal, but they run at a steady pace for hours on end until the animal runs out of steam and cant run away anymore. The hunting happens by tracking, and the visual contact in only made in the end, after hours of hunting.

So pretty damn impressive way to do it by all means. Goes well together with that claim made in the nature magazine.

[J]

Ever hear of the Tarahumari Indians? Live down in Mexico. They play a game where different tribes have a running contest where they kick a ball along and run after it until one tribe gives up. They literally run for days at a time. They had some 50+ year old enter a 50 mile race up in Colorado and he won his age group but 50 miles was still really too short of a distance. He won wearing used car tires for shoes.

Supposedly it was documented many years ago of Tarahumari mail carriers running 600 miles in a week. They also chase prey until it gives up in exhaustion but they mostly just live off corn and beans. They don't really go very fast though. Usually about 6 miles per hour.