Even chimpanzees, who are significantly smaller than us, exhibit levels of strength that are practically super-human by our standards. New research shows the degree to which our primate cousins are stronger than us—and why their tiny bodies pack such an impressive punch.
Pound-for-pound, chimpanzees are 1. Their extra strength makes sense from an evolutionary perspective; chimps are adapted to forest life, climbing trees and living among the branches.
Humans, on the other hand, abandoned the forest a long time ago—a change of setting that required a different set of physical and cognitive adaptations. An earlier study found that our jaw muscles are particularly weak , which may have helped our brains grow larger.
But it may have been fuelled by a study that claimed one chimp could pull nine times its own body weight. Later studies suggested they could only pull two to four times their weight.
Trending Latest Video Free. A study suggests the difference is mostly due to a higher proportion in chimps of a muscle fibre type involved in powerful, rapid movements.
The findings do not support previous work suggesting mechanical aspects of chimp muscles are responsible. But the difference in chimp-human muscle performance is more modest than sometimes depicted in popular culture. In the s, anecdotal evidence along with investigations by the biologist John Bauman, helped feed a perception that chimps were between four and eight times stronger than an adult human. But subsequent studies failed to replicate these figures, as later researchers found that chimps did not greatly outperform adult males when given physical tasks.
According to ideas put forward in previous work, the difference might be accounted for if chimpanzee muscles were able to generate more force per area, or, alternatively, if chimp muscle was able to shorten faster than human muscle - helping increase its power output. Dr O'Neill and his colleagues set out to test these ideas and others, by directly measuring the properties of muscle fibres taken from chimps that had been frozen after death.
Along with cardiac muscle and smooth muscle, skeletal muscle is one of the three main muscle types, and is mostly found attached to bones via the bundles of collagen known as tendons. ScienceDaily, 26 June University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Chimpanzee 'super strength' and what it might mean in human muscle evolution: Researchers conduct first direct chimp muscle measurements. Retrieved November 10, from www. Blocking this protein increased muscle strength and endurance in old animals.
It may play a role in Humans are genetically similar to chimpanzees and bonobos, yet there exist obvious behavioral and cognitive The interdisciplinary team of scientists was able to document the ultrafast dynamics of the Although the researchers saw evidence of a new malaria species in ScienceDaily shares links with sites in the TrendMD network and earns revenue from third-party advertisers, where indicated.
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