Why Humans Walk On Two Legs
A team of scientists that studied chimpanzees trained to use treadmills has gathered new evidence suggesting that our earliest apelike ancestors started walking on two legs because it required less energy than getting around on all fours.
The five chimps also wore face masks used to help the researchers measure oxygen consumption. While the chimps worked out, the scientists collected metabolic and other data that allowed them to calculate which method of locomotion used less energy and why. The team gathered the same information for four adult humans walking on a treadmill.
We were prepared to find that all of the chimps used more energy walking on two legs but that finding wouldnt have been as interesting, Sockol said. What we found was much more telling. For three chimps, bipedalism3 was more expensive, but for the other two chimps, this wasnt the case. One spent about the same energy walking on two legs as on four. The other used less energy walking upright. These two chimps had different gaits and anatomy than their knucklewalking peers.
Fossil and molecular evidence suggests the earliest ancestors of the human family lived in forested areas in equatorial Africa in the late Miocene era some 8 to 10 million years ago, when changes in climate may have increased in distance between food patches. That would have forced our earliest ancestors to travel longer distances on the ground and favored those who could cover more ground using less energy.
词汇:
chimp )calorie n. 卡,小卡
treadmill n. 踏轮;踏车;单调工作gait n. 步态,步法
knucklewalk v. 用膝关节走路Quadruped n. 四足动物
locomotion n. 运动
1. UC Davis :加州大学戴维斯分校。UC是University of California 的缩写,该校有多个分校,UC Davis是其中一个。Davis以前是UC Berkeley分校的农学院,后来独立出来。Davis是一个大学城,很小的城市,Davis校园基本就构成了这个城市。
3. bipedalism:系bipedal的对应名词,这里后缀-ism表示特征、特性。
1. What did Michael Sockol and his team find out in their study of chimpanzees?
B) The evidence why our apelike ancestors came to walk on four legs.
D) The evidence why chimpanzees can be trained to walk on two legs.
A) While the chimps worked in the lab
C) While the chimps tried to figure out what they should do
国际英语资讯:Interview: U.S. and China should find ways to ensure more effective cooperation: U.S. offici
美司法部要求英国引渡维基解密创始人阿桑奇
体坛英语资讯:Nadal, Federer reach mens singles third round, Bertens out of French Open
减少财务焦虑的五种方法
国内英语资讯:China improves arbitration system to strengthen credibility
多久洗一次头发最好?
用餐时交出手机就能获赠免费披萨 这家店已送出50张大披萨!
国际英语资讯:Spotlight: Syrian refugees face rising resentment in post-election Turkey
专家称日本网红眼药水有健康风险,你还敢用吗?
国内英语资讯:China firmly opposes U.S. remarks on ordinance amendments: spokesperson
国内英语资讯:Zambian govt says partnering with China to boost agricultural production
国内英语资讯:Commentary: U.S. arms sales to Taiwan a dangerous move to aggravate cross-Strait situation
国际英语资讯:News Analysis: Trumps veto proves U.S. main role in prolonging Yemens war
国内英语资讯:Any attempts to interfere with Chinas internal affairs doomed to failure: spokesperson
国内英语资讯:Chinese premier meets World Bank chief on deepening cooperation
体坛英语资讯:Golf legend Woods to play alongside Chinas Li at Augusta Masters
国内英语资讯:Chinas top legislature launches media activity to promote Yangtze River protection
2019年6月英语六级易考作文范文:大学校园里的信用卡
国际英语资讯:Thailand should seize business opportunities under Chinas GBA plan: deputy Thai PM
国际英语资讯:Trump says he received letter from DPRKs Kim
体坛英语资讯:Indonesian Paralympian Pangabean eyes 5 golds at 2020 ASEAN Para Games
幼儿园的小女孩都开始化妆了?韩国美妆低龄化惹争议
Uber上市后首次公布盈利状况,股价暴跌
体坛英语资讯:Chinas golfer Li Haotong aims high at Augusta Masters
国内英语资讯:Across China: Favorable ethnic policies bring benefits for Tibetan children
国际英语资讯:Iran plans to reform currency by deleting 4 zeros from monetary unit
体坛英语资讯:CONMEBOL confirms Argentina, Colombia as 2020 Copa America hosts
国际英语资讯:Chinese UN envoy calls for eliminating root causes of armed conflict
俄政府解除对调查记者的软禁
国际英语资讯:News Analysis: Nigerians yearn for harmonious executive-legislative relationship as new parl