Biologist Offers Insight on the Human Foot

Research describes how the evolution of walking has everything to do with what makes us human.

By Brianna Barbu
Nov 20, 2022 6:00 AM
Lieberman, Daniel
Lieberman prefers to run barefoot or with minimal footwear. Shoes may be comfortable and even necessary, but they also come with a physical cost (Credit: Josh Andrus).

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

This story was originally published in our Nov/Dec 2022 issue as "On Foot." Click here to subscribe to read more stories like this one.


Going places on foot isn’t a particularly glamorous way to get around. Sure, there are proven health, social and environmental benefits. But walking is … well, pedestrian, and for many running is a chore — or something you do when you’re late to catch a bus.

According to human evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman, though, those activities are central to understanding what makes us human. When our ancestors adapted to getting around on two limbs instead of four, that adjustment made its mark on nearly every part of the human body from head to toe (and even our butts).

Lieberman and his team at the Harvard University Skeletal Biology and Biomechanics Lab use evidence from the fossil record, biomechanics experiments in the lab and field research to develop models that explain the evolution of human physical activity. He has written two books on the subject for a general audience: The Story of the Human Body in 2014 and Exercised in 2021.

0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

0 free articlesSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

Stay Curious

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.

 

View our Privacy Policy


Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!


Log In or Register

Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription

More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Shop Now
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2023 Kalmbach Media Co.