Ultra-endurance athletic performance suggests that energetics drive human morphological thermal adaptation
Both extinct and extant hominin populations display morphological features consistent with Bergmann's and Allen's Rules. However, the functional implications of the morphologies described by these ecological laws are poorly understood. We examined this through the lens of endurance running...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Evolutionary Human Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2513843X19000136/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1811156450331852800 |
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| author | Daniel P. Longman Alison Macintosh Murray Rebecca Roberts Saskia Oakley Jonathan C.K. Wells Jay T. Stock |
| author_facet | Daniel P. Longman Alison Macintosh Murray Rebecca Roberts Saskia Oakley Jonathan C.K. Wells Jay T. Stock |
| author_sort | Daniel P. Longman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Both extinct and extant hominin populations display morphological features consistent with Bergmann's and Allen's Rules. However, the functional implications of the morphologies described by these ecological laws are poorly understood. We examined this through the lens of endurance running. Previous research concerning endurance running has focused on locomotor energetic economy. We considered a less-studied dimension of functionality, thermoregulation. The performance of male ultra-marathon runners (n = 88) competing in hot and cold environments was analysed with reference to expected thermoregulatory energy costs and the optimal morphologies predicted by Bergmann's and Allen's Rules. Ecogeographical patterning supporting both principles was observed in thermally challenging environments. Finishers of hot-condition events had significantly longer legs than finishers of cold-condition events. Furthermore, hot-condition finishers had significantly longer legs than those failing to complete hot-condition events. A degree of niche-picking was evident; athletes may have tailored their event entry choices in accordance with their previous race experiences. We propose that the interaction between prolonged physical exertion and hot or cold climates may induce powerful selective pressures driving morphological adaptation. The resulting phenotypes reduce thermoregulatory energetic expenditure, allowing diversion of energy to other functional outcomes such as faster running. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:50:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a8bb33f39ec24b2e999cd167691c92b0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2513-843X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:50:45Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Evolutionary Human Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-a8bb33f39ec24b2e999cd167691c92b02023-03-09T12:32:07ZengCambridge University PressEvolutionary Human Sciences2513-843X2019-01-01110.1017/ehs.2019.13Ultra-endurance athletic performance suggests that energetics drive human morphological thermal adaptationDaniel P. Longman0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3025-7053Alison Macintosh Murray1Rebecca Roberts2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5233-7164Saskia Oakley3Jonathan C.K. Wells4Jay T. Stock5School of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences, Loughborough University, LoughboroughLE11 3TU, UKDepartment of Anthropology, University of Victoria, British Columbia, CanadaDepartment of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 3QG, UKDepartment of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 3QG, UKChildhood Nutrition Research Centre, UCL Institute of Child Health, LondonWC1N 1EH, UKDepartment of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 3QG, UK Department of Anthropology, University of Western Ontario, Ontario, Canada Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, D-07745Jena, GermanyBoth extinct and extant hominin populations display morphological features consistent with Bergmann's and Allen's Rules. However, the functional implications of the morphologies described by these ecological laws are poorly understood. We examined this through the lens of endurance running. Previous research concerning endurance running has focused on locomotor energetic economy. We considered a less-studied dimension of functionality, thermoregulation. The performance of male ultra-marathon runners (n = 88) competing in hot and cold environments was analysed with reference to expected thermoregulatory energy costs and the optimal morphologies predicted by Bergmann's and Allen's Rules. Ecogeographical patterning supporting both principles was observed in thermally challenging environments. Finishers of hot-condition events had significantly longer legs than finishers of cold-condition events. Furthermore, hot-condition finishers had significantly longer legs than those failing to complete hot-condition events. A degree of niche-picking was evident; athletes may have tailored their event entry choices in accordance with their previous race experiences. We propose that the interaction between prolonged physical exertion and hot or cold climates may induce powerful selective pressures driving morphological adaptation. The resulting phenotypes reduce thermoregulatory energetic expenditure, allowing diversion of energy to other functional outcomes such as faster running.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2513843X19000136/type/journal_articleenergeticsadaptationthermoregulationmorphologyBergmann's RuleAllen's Rule |
| spellingShingle | Daniel P. Longman Alison Macintosh Murray Rebecca Roberts Saskia Oakley Jonathan C.K. Wells Jay T. Stock Ultra-endurance athletic performance suggests that energetics drive human morphological thermal adaptation Evolutionary Human Sciences energetics adaptation thermoregulation morphology Bergmann's Rule Allen's Rule |
| title | Ultra-endurance athletic performance suggests that energetics drive human morphological thermal adaptation |
| title_full | Ultra-endurance athletic performance suggests that energetics drive human morphological thermal adaptation |
| title_fullStr | Ultra-endurance athletic performance suggests that energetics drive human morphological thermal adaptation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ultra-endurance athletic performance suggests that energetics drive human morphological thermal adaptation |
| title_short | Ultra-endurance athletic performance suggests that energetics drive human morphological thermal adaptation |
| title_sort | ultra endurance athletic performance suggests that energetics drive human morphological thermal adaptation |
| topic | energetics adaptation thermoregulation morphology Bergmann's Rule Allen's Rule |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2513843X19000136/type/journal_article |
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