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Re: Bipedialism and other factors and AAT
Sir CPU (sircpu@aol.com)
2 Jun 1995 08:40:26 -0400
-The point is, man evolved to walk, not
-run, it's what we do best, just like the other "inefficient" species
-you mentioned, penguins, who are extremely efficient in the water. So
-to recap, man's mode of transportation is walking, just like chimps and
-squirrels climb and walk branches, and the penguins swim, running is an
-extra and hence inefficient for all of the above.
-John (just an old Bio/Anthro major, fire at will! (smile))
The point I was trying to make though is that man's inefficiency of
running is not helpful when being pursued by a predator. And it seems to
me that this would happen often if man evolved for any lenght of time on
the open savannas. It wouldn't matter how efficient walking was, running
it what really counts when a lion is chasing you.
The points you make about other species isn't a good comparison
because all of them are fast at least SOMEWHERE and primarily where they
are most likely to be prusued by predators. Penguins may not be able to
walk efficiently, but the majority of their predators are in the water
(Killer Whales and Leapord Seals). Consequently they manage to out race
their attackers in the water. They are lucky they have no major predators
on land. Perhaps this is why they choose to raise there young out in the
open on land.
Squirrels might not be efficient on the ground, but they are never
far from a tree, and at the first sign of trouble, they make a dash for a
tree. They are obviously vulnerable on the land, and this is where a
predator is most likely to catch a squirrel.
Troy Kelley
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