The Foot
There are many body parts that look similar when examining the skeleton of humans and our closest living relatives. These similarities are important in understanding where humans, as a species, stand in the complex evolutionary world. Although the similarities are important, the differences are what make Homo sapiens the only habitually bipedal animal on earth. The subtle differences are what allow the species to travel so efficiently and use the other limbs to manipulate the world. The ability to interact with the world has allowed humans to grow culturally and anatomically. The human foot is one of the most important features of the skeleton to give us clues about our past evolution, culture and so much more.
There are many different …show more content…
It did many things for the early humans but one important thing it did is free the two upper limbs. Humans now had the ability to interact with the world in a whole new way. They could throw a spear while running and they could jump and catch things to eat. The evolution of the human foot clearly shows that it was built for these kind of activities. There are some tribes in Africa today that still use bipedalism to their advantage in a very strategic way. It is called persistence hunting. It is believed to be one of the oldest forms of hunting on Earth (Liebenberg, 2006). The men track animals for hours to days in an effort to tire the animal out. Once they are close enough, the men sprint after the animal in order to tire it out. Because the men have two open limbs they can carry water while running. It may not seem like much, but being able to replenish your thirst while on the run is a tremendous advantage in this hunting style. An animal will eventually have to stop for water or shade. That’s when the men use their spears and take down the animal when it is too tired to go on (Liebenberg, 2006). This ancient form of hunting is said to go back long ago when humans had just started to hunt. The human foot is perfect for this type of hunting. The arch in the foot has elastic properties that act as springs when the foot spreads across the ground. This helps with storing of energy of these forces …show more content…
The foot is key to humans for balance and coordination. It is key in the movement from trees down to the African savannah. Catching prey became easier and easier with the development of the foot and the structures that help support it. Being able to take down bigger prey may have led to more development mentally. Culturally humans have expressed social status and beauty for thousands of years. The foot is a prime example of one of the many things that make us
There are many body parts that look similar when examining the skeleton of humans and our closest living relatives. These similarities are important in understanding where humans, as a species, stand in the complex evolutionary world. Although the similarities are important, the differences are what make Homo sapiens the only habitually bipedal animal on earth. The subtle differences are what allow the species to travel so efficiently and use the other limbs to manipulate the world. The ability to interact with the world has allowed humans to grow culturally and anatomically. The human foot is one of the most important features of the skeleton to give us clues about our past evolution, culture and so much more.
There are many different …show more content…
It did many things for the early humans but one important thing it did is free the two upper limbs. Humans now had the ability to interact with the world in a whole new way. They could throw a spear while running and they could jump and catch things to eat. The evolution of the human foot clearly shows that it was built for these kind of activities. There are some tribes in Africa today that still use bipedalism to their advantage in a very strategic way. It is called persistence hunting. It is believed to be one of the oldest forms of hunting on Earth (Liebenberg, 2006). The men track animals for hours to days in an effort to tire the animal out. Once they are close enough, the men sprint after the animal in order to tire it out. Because the men have two open limbs they can carry water while running. It may not seem like much, but being able to replenish your thirst while on the run is a tremendous advantage in this hunting style. An animal will eventually have to stop for water or shade. That’s when the men use their spears and take down the animal when it is too tired to go on (Liebenberg, 2006). This ancient form of hunting is said to go back long ago when humans had just started to hunt. The human foot is perfect for this type of hunting. The arch in the foot has elastic properties that act as springs when the foot spreads across the ground. This helps with storing of energy of these forces …show more content…
The foot is key to humans for balance and coordination. It is key in the movement from trees down to the African savannah. Catching prey became easier and easier with the development of the foot and the structures that help support it. Being able to take down bigger prey may have led to more development mentally. Culturally humans have expressed social status and beauty for thousands of years. The foot is a prime example of one of the many things that make us