As the forests of Africa gave way to the plains, our ancestors came down out of the trees and started to run. Ancient humans chased down larger prey by working together in sophisticated hunting groups that could follow prey for hours before actually seeing it, using clues to track the animals and infer their movements. In order to run such long distances, hominins grew taller and stronger, developing long legs and tendons, wide shoulders, and weight-bearing joints. This aerobic capacity was unprecedented among primates.
At the same time, ancient humans were quickly evolving more nuanced communication and reasoning skills. With developments in the body and the brain evolving in parallel, pharmacologist Michael Spedding, living in France, and sports scientist Timothy Noakes at the University of Cape Town have postulated that physical activity supported the evolution of complex cognition, and have suggested that exercise may be necessary to keep our brains ...
