According to a new theroy by biologist Dennis Bramble at the University of Utah and his colleague Dan Lieberman of Harvard University, Pheidippides
was not just a hero of Greece but a perfect expression of what humans were evolved to do. Its was the human abillty to run long distances at a
reasonoblly fast place that was the key to our evolutionary edge on the savannah of Africa.
www.newscientist.com
We are born to run. According to new research, our bodies are highly evolved for running long distances, an ability that allowed our ancestors to
conquer the African savannahs.
Proponents of the theory say that long-distance running may be an even more significant evolutionary adaptation than bipedal walking, an ability which
may have emerged with the appearance of the first hominids some 6 million years ago.
It is true that we cannot keep up with the fastest four-legged mammals. The speediest humans can sprint at barely 10 metres per second for just 15
seconds, whereas horses and greyhounds can gallop twice as fast for many minutes.
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Are we all marathon men? At first glance this new theory seems reasonable but only time will tell if it stands peer verification. While man's
abillity to run long distance is greater than most large predators, there are many exceptions not the least of which are wolves. However if supported
by evdence, this may also shed light on the relatonships of humans and canids.
[edit on 18-11-2004 by Banshee]
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