Short legs help fight better

The male gibbon has very short legs compared to body size, which makes it adapt to stand firm and increase strength when fighting.(Photo: msnbc.msn.com)

Our ancestors with dwarf bodies that last for more than 2 million years are because their short legs have an advantage in competing with other males to reach their partners.

  Living from about 4 million to 2 million years ago, animals of the Australopithecus genus were considered to be the precursors of modern Homo. They are 1m19 tall with females and 1m40 with males.

So far, the dwarf body of australopiths and other human ancestors is still considered to help climb trees better. Like surfing or other sports that need balance, the low body focus will increase stability and bring operational success.

"It was previously thought that gibbons need short legs to help them climb trees," said study author David Carrier, a biologist at the University of Utah. "I think they have short legs to help fight better."

Carrier examines limbs and aggressive indicators in 9 primates, including gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, squid gibbons, baboons, bonobo monkeys . Carrier also learns the difference. The weight between males and females, gender differences in the length of canines - used to bite each other when fighting.

The results showed that animals with the lowest body size also ranked high in the aggressive index. For example, gibbon (gibbon) has longer legs than other apes and also ranks last in aggression. In contrast, male gorillas, which are twice the size of females, are dwarfed.

"Gibbon are excellent acrobats in the animal kingdom. No animal can pass through the branches like gibbons. In contrast, gorillas are difficult to climb. They spend most of their time. under the ground, " Carrier said.

Although Australopiths have traveled on two feet on the ground, they maintain short legs for 2 million years to keep their advantage in the war to reach their children. However, researchers claim that people with longer legs do not mean that we are less aggressive. Instead, long legs are an evolutionary product to help run long distances.

MT