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Endurance running and the evolution of Homo

Author

Listed:
  • Dennis M. Bramble

    (University of Utah)

  • Daniel E. Lieberman

    (Harvard University)

Abstract

Striding bipedalism is a key derived behaviour of hominids that possibly originated soon after the divergence of the chimpanzee and human lineages. Although bipedal gaits include walking and running, running is generally considered to have played no major role in human evolution because humans, like apes, are poor sprinters compared to most quadrupeds. Here we assess how well humans perform at sustained long-distance running, and review the physiological and anatomical bases of endurance running capabilities in humans and other mammals. Judged by several criteria, humans perform remarkably well at endurance running, thanks to a diverse array of features, many of which leave traces in the skeleton. The fossil evidence of these features suggests that endurance running is a derived capability of the genus Homo, originating about 2 million years ago, and may have been instrumental in the evolution of the human body form.

Suggested Citation

  • Dennis M. Bramble & Daniel E. Lieberman, 2004. "Endurance running and the evolution of Homo," Nature, Nature, vol. 432(7015), pages 345-352, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:432:y:2004:i:7015:d:10.1038_nature03052
    DOI: 10.1038/nature03052
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    Cited by:

    1. Barry Bogin & Maria Inês Varela-Silva, 2010. "Leg Length, Body Proportion, and Health: A Review with a Note on Beauty," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-29, March.
    2. Steven Peck, 2010. "Death and the ecological crisis," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 27(1), pages 105-109, March.
    3. John Hartwick, 2010. "Encephalization and division of labor by early humans," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 12(2), pages 77-100, July.
    4. Wojciech Wołyniec & Katarzyna Kasprowicz & Joanna Giebułtowicz & Natalia Korytowska & Katarzyna Zorena & Maria Bartoszewicz & Patrycja Rita-Tkachenko & Marcin Renke & Wojciech Ratkowski, 2019. "Changes in Water Soluble Uremic Toxins and Urinary Acute Kidney Injury Biomarkers After 10- and 100-km Runs," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-19, October.
    5. Christofer J. Clemente & Friedl Groote & Taylor J. M. Dick, 2024. "Predictive musculoskeletal simulations reveal the mechanistic link between speed, posture and energetics among extant mammals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    6. Yang Yang & Xini Zhang & Zhen Luo & Xi Wang & Dongqiang Ye & Weijie Fu, 2020. "Alterations in Running Biomechanics after 12 Week Gait Retraining with Minimalist Shoes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-13, January.
    7. Gallagher, Andrew, 2013. "Stature, body mass, and brain size: A two-million-year odyssey," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 551-562.
    8. Minji Choi & Seulbi Lee & Sungjoo Hwang & Moonseo Park & Hyun-Soo Lee, 2019. "Comparison of Emergency Response Abilities and Evacuation Performance Involving Vulnerable Occupants in Building Fire Situations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-19, December.
    9. Geerat Vermeij, 2009. "Comparative economics: evolution and the modern economy," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 11(2), pages 105-134, August.
    10. Robert Kurzban & Peter DeScioli, 2013. "Adaptationist punishment in humans," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 269-279, October.
    11. Jean-Renaud Pycke & Véronique Billat, 2022. "Marathon Performance Depends on Pacing Oscillations between Non Symmetric Extreme Values," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-19, February.
    12. Billat, Véronique & Brunel, Nicolas J-B. & Carbillet, Thomas & Labbé, Stéphane & Samson, Adeline, 2018. "Humans are able to self-paced constant running accelerations until exhaustion," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 506(C), pages 290-304.

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