Question

During the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition the Homo genus appeared in the fossil record. The Homo genus is a a continuation of the Gracile Australopithecines. Like those that came before, Homo is an obligate biped, but unlike its precursors Homo displays a unique set of physical adaptations along with behaviors that make the genus unique among hominins. To begin with, Homo and all its eventual lineages display hunting behaviors along with the associated stone tools necessary to process meat. At the same time, the creation and dependence on stone tools and other cultural technologies is a function of the increase in brain size that begins with the onset of Homo.

Hunting, the new Homo subsistence pattern, required not just a new kind of mind set to create new cultural technologies but at the same time required a specialized hand that would allow for better manipulation of objects while being capable of resisting the unique physical pressures associated with making tools.

In addition, being able to run after prey became essential. The Homo genus was the first to display adaptations that allow for endurance running. The type of running that Homo becomes known for is not a type of running that allows us to be fast but rather it allows us to run for long distances at a pace which forces prey to undergo hyperthermia over the long run.  

Your task for this activity will be to compare and contrast the locomotor features of Australopithecus afarensis to Homo erectus. You will accomplish this by answering the following.

What anatomical features makes it possible for Homo erectus to be a biped runner.

• Pick only one feature discussed in this week's material that allowed Homo erectus to be a biped runner.  
• How is your chosen feature different from Australopithecus aferensis equivalent feature? Briefly explain the difference.
• Lastly, I would like you to briefly explain in your own words how endurance running would enhance the fitness of the Homo genus.

Answer 1

Answer:

• The most relevant feature that helped Homo erectus to be a biped runner is to to hunt animals or scavenge their carcasses.
• Its the natural course of life which choose the most dominant and adaptive feature to survive in that environment of early ages before the development of bows,arrows and nets.
• At those times it was just at your own capabilites and skills to catch the predators and make them your food for dinner.
• So the Natural selection favored the perpetuation of human anatomical features that made long-distance running possible.

Anatomical features that make it possible:

1.Skull features that help prevent overheating during running. As sweat evaporates from the scalp, forehead and face, the evaporation cools blood draining from the head.

2.A more balanced head with a flatter face, smaller teeth and short snout, compared with australopithecines.This helps to balance the Center of mass towards back.

3.Human vertebrae and disks are larger in diameter relative to body mass than are those in apes or australopithecines.This hepls in the Shock absorption while running.

4.The connection between the pelvis and spine is stronger and larger relative to body size in humans than in their ancestors, providing more stability and shock absorption during running.

These points along with some other improvements in the body helps to make Homo erectus a powerfull runner.

• The anatomical changes in the body which leads to the more powerful and endurance runner body helps to enhance the fitness of Homo genus traits that aided running include leg and foot tendons and ligaments that act like springs, foot and toe structure that allows efficient use of the feet to push off, shoulders that rotate independently of the head and neck to allow better balance, and skeletal and muscle features that make the human body stronger, more stable and able to run more efficiently without overheating.
• With all those improvement in the Homo genus today running is a form of good health exercise and we have inherited this from our ancestors which is a tremendous contribution in today's Homo Sapiens body.

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