Re: Longer legs More Efficient


Day Brown wrote:
On Mar 19, 11:20 am, Rich Travsky <traRvE...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070312091455.htm

Scientists have known for years that the energy cost of walking and running is
related primarily to the work done by muscles to lift and move the limbs.

But how much energy does it actually take to get around? Does having longer legs
really make a difference?

Herman Pontzer, Ph.D., assistant professor of physical anthropology in Arts &
Sciences, has developed a mathematical model for calculating energy costs for two
and four-legged animals. His research was published in a recent issue of The
Journal of Experimental Biology.

"All things being equal, leg length is one of the major determinants of cost," says
Pontzer, "If two animals are identical except for leg length, the animal with longer
legs is more efficient."

The fossil record shows that two million years ago, there was a big increase in leg
length in early humans. Pontzer suggests that one reason for this increase could have
been the energy saved by having longer legs. "If you greatly increase the distance
that you travel each day, then you'd expect evolution to act on walking efficiency,"
he says. "That way, the energy you save on travel can be spent instead on survival
and reproduction."
...

Given the way all the holes in the hominid skulls match leopard teeth,
I'd say the big cats ate all the short ones who could not see over the
tall grass to notice an attack coming.

Or, the attack happened at night when the leopard could grab a
sleeping hominid.

.

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