anatomy refocused
The Complexity of Movement
BY JAMES EARLS
1
As we saw in earlier extracts of this series, anatomy teachers have tried to simplify it with certain rules and conventions to make anatomy more understandable. However, these simplifications sometimes get in the way, limiting our perception and creating as much confusion as clarification. In a previous article we reviewed the purpose of some of the conventions and rules. In this extract we will observe some of the ways humans move and put that in context by looking into the past and comparing the movement of modern humans with that of our ancestors and ape relatives.
Just as one might do when walking a trail, taking a few steps back helps us see where we have come from. By looking back, we can review the context of our journey so far and understand how we got here. We also get the opportunity to see the same features from a different viewpoint, one that might give greater appreciation and insight into the landscape in which we find ourselves. The complex range of human movement strategies has developed because of our history. Every animal has preferred methods of locomotion, but the human body appears capable of a much wider range of options than most other species—we can walk, run, climb, and swim. However, we don’t excel at much—there are smoother swimmers, faster runners, and more adept climbers.
Although we may excel at efficient distance walking and running, I think it is fair to say that our specialism is probably the variety of movement options open to us.
How the Need to Survive Has Shaped Us
Such a wide range of movement possibilities might cause problems for describing human motion unless we take several steps back and appreciate some of the basic principles of our biology. For example, we all know that humans have spines and—along with 70,000 other species—belong to a group of animals known as vertebrates. Birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals are all vertebrates, and, although we all have different methods of moving around, we share a very similar skeleton because we have a shared ancestry (figure 1).