Longman, DP;
Macintosh Murray, A;
Roberts, R;
Oakley, S;
Wells, JCK;
Stock, JT;
(2019)
Ultra-endurance athletic performance suggests that energetics drive human morphological thermal adaptation.
Evolutionary Human Sciences
, 1
(e16)
10.1017/ehs.2019.13.
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Abstract
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.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Ultra-endurance athletic performance suggests that energetics drive human morphological thermal adaptation |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1017/ehs.2019.13 |
| Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/ehs.2019.13 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © The Author(s) 2019. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://crea tivecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Keywords: | energetics; adaptation; thermoregulation; morphology; Bergmann’s Rule; Allen’s Rule |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health > Population, Policy and Practice Dept |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10093405 |
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