CARTA: The Evolution of Human Physical Activity - Introduction and Opening Remarks

Human physical activities differ significantly from other species. Although hunter-gatherers sometimes climb and fight, they also walk and run long distances as well as dig, throw, carry and more. How, when and why did these capabilities evolve? What genetic, physiological and anatomical adaptations underlie them? And how did the evolution of human physical activity affect other key human characteristics such as the brains, diet, life-history strategies, gene-culture co-evolution and social cooperation? To address these and other related questions, this symposium will integrate research on genetics, biomechanics, physiology, neurobiology and behavior. Because more and more humans today are primarily sedentary, we will also explore implications of the evolution of human physical activity for contemporary health and disease. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 37183]