This urgent question. Name three potential adaptations that facilitate endurance

Question

This urgent question.

Name three potential adaptations that facilitate endurance running in humans. (3 points)

How efficient are human running strides compared with the running strides of quadrupeds, such as horses? (2 point)

What foraging style of early hominids likely facilitated early selection for endurance running? (1 points)

Other than as an adaptation for running, what is a potential explanation for our long Achilles tendon? (2 point)

Some researchers argue that our short toes allow us to be better runners and avoid injury because they minimize stress force to our feet (See figure below). What is an alternative nonadaptive hypothesis for our short toes? (Hint: Think of other animals that have smaller versions of ancestral traits-an evo devo explanation). (3 points)

Explanation / Answer

Long distance running or endurance running is a specific evolutionary adaptation for group hunting that evolved in humans.

Adaptations are:

The diverse skeletal feature such as long legs and short toes which makes long distance running possible.

The plantar arch in the human foot has an elastic spring function to generate energy for running.

Other adaptations may include a small waist,neck thorax flexibility,an enlarged gluteus and an flexibility of vestibular and occular reflexes.

While comparing the human running styles with other quadrupeds humans have better efficient cooling system,our ability to sweat,and having an upright posture,to minimize the sun exposure and maximize the lung capcities .These are some reasons which make human skilled distance runners .also unlike other animals humans can motivate themselves to run ,through trainning human can increase our aerobic scope.

Humans evolved from ape like ancestors and they needed to run long distance to hunt animals or scavenge carcasses.Running is simply a by product of human ability to walk.Bipedalism is the ability to walk upright on two legs which evolved in Astralopithecus 4.5 million years ago.

Humans have long elastic achilles tendon,which connects the calf muscles to the heel bone and plays an important role in human running ability by storing and releasing energy during stride.

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