Hello rdos-ga
The answer to ?Were Neanderthals Flat-footed? would have to be ?No.
Neanderthals were not flat-footed? . First, I need to explain about
flat feet, and then we?ll move on to Neanderthals.
About Flat Feet:
Having flat feet are formed in two ways: Congenital and Acquired.
Occasionally a child is born with flat feet that developed before
birth, in utero. This can happen when the foot bones fuse together and
become malformed, and is not very common. Acquired flat feet are
common, and is the way most folks develop flat feet. While we are very
young, under 3 years of age, the longitudinal arch in poorly
developed, if at all, and having flat feet at this age is normal. The
arch develops during childhood.
Other causes of flat feet:?The foot tends to roll in too much on
standing or walking. This may be due to lax ligaments in the heel
(subtalar) joint or at the base of the big toe which allow more than
the normal amount of rolling in of the foot. As rolling in of the foot
is known as "pronation" these people are said to have an
"over-pronated foot". Due to the rolling in of the middle of the foot,
the heel usually points outwards more than normal, as does the front
of the foot. These people often have lax joints in other parts of
their body too. This is the usual reason why children have no arch in
their feet: children tend to have looser joints than adults. As they
get older their joints tighten up and, in most children, an arch
appears. The best way to tell if a person has mobile over-pronated
feet is to stand on tip-toe, or to push the big toe up as far as it
will go.? From BOFSS.org web site.
http://www.bofss.org.uk/html/flat_feet.shtml
As adults, we may develop flat feet from a damaged or ruptured tendon,
injuries or arthritis. Some diseases of the nervous system such as
cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy may cause flat feet because of
weak, poorly working muscles. Generally speaking, flat feet cause no
trouble. Poorly fitting shoes or a tight Achilles tendon can cause
the foot to point downward, which is compensated for by the foot, by
flattening out the arch. Being overweight, our increased lifespan, and
the flat walking surfaces have all contributed to an increase in flat
feet in adults today.
http://www.nbwebexpress.com/achieve_more/flat_feet/flatfoot3_6.htm
Medline:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001262.htm
Orthaheel
http://www.orthaheel.com/flatfeet.html
Neanderthals existed between 230,000 and 30,000 years ago, and belong
to the species Hominids. About 30 years ago, some fossils were found,
in East Africa, that showed Hominid feet were arched, like ours today.
It may be possible that some Neanderthals were born flat footed, if as
today, the bones fused before birth, and it may have been that they
developed diseases of the nervous system. But generally speaking,
Neanderthals had a longitudinal arch structure. As Hominids walked
rough terrain, and not the flat cemented and carpeted floors that we
walk on today, probably were not overweight, and certainly did not
wear poorly fitting shoes it is probably unlikely they ever developed
flat feet during their lifetime.
Talk of Origins
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/species.html#neandertals
Answers in Genesis says ?In 1974, famous fossil hunter Dr Mary Leakey
and her team were reported to have uncovered the oldest set of manlike
(hominid) footprints ever found, supposedly 3.5 million years old, at
Laetoli in East Africa.? And ?Human feet are different from any in the
animal world-no other has feet like ours.?
http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/1304.asp
From an anthropology free net comes this from Dr. Louise Robbins, a
footprint expert from the University of North Carolina ?Robbins (1987,
p. 501) noted: "Each hominid has a non-divergent great toe, or toe 1,
and that toe is about twice as
large as toe 2 beside it." She found the spacing between toes 1
and 2 "no greater than one finds in many people today, including
individuals who habitually wear shoes" (1987, p. 501). Robbins
also found "the ball region of the hominids' feet is of human
form" and added that the feet displayed "a functionally stable
longitudinal arch structure" (1987, p. 501). Finally, she
observed that "the heel impressions in the hominids' footprints
appear human in their form and in their locomotory performance"
http://www.anatomy.usyd.edu.au/danny/anthropology/sci.anthropology.paleo/archive/may-1995/0163.html
An interesting Aside:
According to Talk Origins, this is how the name ?Neanderthal? came
about ?The Neander Tal was named after a minister, Joachim Neumann,
who used to take walks there in the late 17th century. Neumann
composed many hymns, some of which are still sung today. Wanting to
use a Greek pseudonym, Neumann, whose name means "new man", chose
"Neander", a translation of his name into Greek. By a strange
coincidence, the "New Man Valley" named for him after his death gave
its name to a new type of human that was discovered there.?
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/spelling.html
Hope this is what you were seeking, rdos! If any part of my answer is
unclear, please request an Answer Clarification before rating. This
will enable me to assist you further, if possible.
Regards, crabcakes-ga
Search Terms:
Evolution of foot arch
Foot arch neanderthals |
