Human evolution shows that Homo Sapiens evolved physical features suitable to long-distance running. About two million years ago, the east African landscape entered a drying period, and many forested lands turned into grasslands or patchy open woodlands. These conditions would have favored our ancestors’ development of characteristics that could run after animals and scavenge prey over lots of arid terrain. Perhaps this explains our relatively hairless bodies (good for heat transfer), shorter toes (ground versus trees), large gluteal muscles and long Achilles tendons (to propel forward at a running gait), and even running muscles with more mitochondria (greater efficiency of oxygen for fuel).
Source(s): See pages 14-15 of _The Joy of Movement_, by Kelly McGonigal, 2019 (Avet Errata: continued citation (Avery, New York). Image from website “Filthy Monkey Men,” @filthymo keymen.com, “Did Endurance Running Drive Human Evolution?” By Adam Benton 26 January 2015. Benton suggests the evidence might indicate these features also/instead evolved to favor carrying things long distance.
