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How does the unique structure of human knee joint improve walking efficiency?
In the evolution of human beings, the evolution of bipedal walking has had a profound impact on our survival mode and behavior patterns.According to research, the origin of this transformation can be traced back to ancient primates about four million years ago, gradually adapting the human body structure to the need for upright walking, especially the unique design of the knee joint fundamentally improves walking efficiency.
Energy Efficiency of Walking
Humans' walking energy consumption is about 75% lower than that of tetrapods and beep-type chimpanzees.This shows that human upright walking is relatively energy-efficient compared to other forms of movement.
According to a study, humans use significantly less energy during walking than today's tetrapods, and in human knee structures, especially the characteristics of "two-knee movement", this The energy loss caused by the vertical displacement of the center of gravity is further reduced.
Evolution of knee joint
The human knee joint is larger than that of tetrapods, which is to support the downward pressure of the human center of gravity.In addition, the extension angle of the knee joint is reduced when walking, which helps improve stability while also saving muscle strength during walking.
"When humans are walking, their knees are almost exactly right below the body, and such an arrangement helps balance and reduce energy consumption."
Long legs and their impact on efficiency
As bipedal walking evolved, human legs became longer, and this change allowed leg muscles to function more effectively during walking.In human walking mode, the propulsion mechanism of the legs is mainly through the ankle joint, reducing the consumption of muscles. This characteristic allows humans to complete more efficient steps with less force.
Adjustment of pelvic structure
The shape of the hip and pelvis in humans also changes with the need to walk upright.Modern human hip joints are larger and rounder in shape, which not only supports the human body's center of gravity, but also improves stability when walking.This change allows the muscle control required to be greatly reduced while staying upright.
Spine Curvature and Balance
"The human spine has a unique S-shaped bend, which helps keep the body's center of gravity upright above the feet, thus saving energy consumption during walking."
The design of the anterior bend in the lower waist area and the posterior bend in the upper chest area makes the human body not need to consume too much muscle strength to maintain balance when walking upright.These evolutions strengthen human ability when facing long-term walking and maintaining posture.
Adaptation and future challenges
Although human bone structure has changed significantly compared to before, these changes have also brought about some health challenges facing modern humans, such as knee arthritis and low back pain.These problems arise in part because of long-term changes in the center of gravity.With the changes in the living environment, how to further adapt and improve human skeletal structure while maintaining walking efficiency will be an important topic that medical and anthropologists need to discuss in the future.
Overall, the evolution of knee joints not only improves human walking efficiency, but also provides us with a lot of room for thinking: what other changes will be made in the future evolution process that can further improve human walking What about efficiency?
