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Human bipedal instability in tree canopy environments is reduced by "light touch" fingertip support
L Johannsen1,2, S R L Coward3, G R Martin3
1Department for Sport and Health Sciences, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
Scientific Reports
|April 27, 2017
Summary
Ancestral hominins may have used a "light touch" strategy to balance in trees, enhancing stability and reducing energy use. This sensorimotor skill could explain how they navigated arboreal environments despite developing bipedalism.
Area of Science:
- Human evolution
- Paleoanthropology
- Biomechanics
Background:
- The role of tree canopy habitats in early human evolution is debated.
- Modern human anatomy may pose challenges for arboreal locomotion due to reduced foot dexterity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the impact of forest canopy dynamics on human postural stability.
- To investigate the effectiveness of sensorimotor strategies for arboreal balance.
Main Methods:
- Participants stood on a dynamic platform simulating a tree branch.
- Visual stimuli of swaying branches were used to induce instability.
- The effect of a "light touch" strategy on balance and muscle activity was measured.
Main Results:
- Dynamic visual stimuli significantly destabilized participants, comparable to blindfolding.
- A light touch strategy markedly improved balance and reduced thigh muscle activity by up to 30%.
Conclusions:
- A light touch sensorimotor strategy could have been crucial for ancestral hominins navigating tree canopies.
- This strategy may have facilitated arboreal feeding and movement, reducing fall risk and metabolic costs.
- Hand adaptations for arboreal access might have co-evolved with those for tool use.
