![]() ![]() “My guess is that we are getting more variation than ever before, perhaps because shoes have impacted foot anatomy. If so, he says, it is more likely the trait reappeared recently. This would have been a disadvantage once our ancestors left the trees. He thinks flexible feet make walking less efficient – something he intends to test. 30 Citations 7 Altmetric Metrics Abstract During bipedal walking, modern humans dorsiflex their forefoot at the metatarsophalangeal joints (MTPJs) prior to push off, which tightens the plantar. Among living primates, modern humans are most. “For instance, our work shows that it is important during a sudden change of speed.”ĭeSilva has another theory. Humans, along with familiar species such as orangutans, gorillas, lemurs, baboons, and chimpanzees, are primates. On the strength of his study, Crompton believes most feet can produce this flexibility in specific circumstances, adding vital stability. ![]() Chimpanzees, for instance, have opposable toes for gripping. “I was, and continue to be, surprised by this,” he says.Ĭrompton thinks flexible feet may have been with us since the dawn of our species, as a relic of our tree-dwelling days. Close-ups of flexible feet as they unroll during walking make the bend obvious, but DeSilva says their owners were not aware of anything unusual, nor was their gait any different. In some people, however, the ligaments are softer, allowing the mid-foot to bend. Compared to the double-arch of the human foot, the ape foot is flat, though both humans and apes walk plantigrade (heel to toe). 112 ( 16) 4877-4884 0 0 Abstract Australopithecus fossils were regularly interpreted during the late 20th century in a framework that used living African apes, especially chimpanzees, as proxies for the immediate ancestors of the human clade. All human feet have a joint at this point – but in most of us, stiff ligaments span the joint and keep it rigid. The spine of early humans connected with the skull underneath, stabilizing the head when walking upright. The spine of a chimpanzee connects with the skull at the back, holding the head at an angle. So what does a flexible foot look like? It bends at the ball of the foot, and also halfway between the heel and the ball. Drawings of skulls of a chimpanzee (left), early human (middle), and modern human (right).
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