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Evolution of hair in great apes and humans
Vejmělková, Anna ; Hora, Martin (advisor) ; Jarešová, Pavla Alexia (referee)
Humans are distinguished from other primates by their functionally naked body surface, caused by reduced body hair density and the type of hair called vellus, with which humans are predominantly covered. This type of hair represents fine and poorly pigmented hair, which, unlike terminal hair, is hardly visible. However, a reduced hair density can also be observed in other hominids, including the genus Homo and the genera Pan, Gorilla, and Pongo. In this work, we first compare the hair density of selected body parts for different species of primates. Next, we describe the structure and functions of hair and discuss hypotheses that explain the possible circumstances leading to a gradual decrease in hair density. We mainly focus on crucial hypotheses related to bipedal locomotion, inhabiting tropical savanna areas, parasites, or the influence of sexual selection. However, we also present some other hypotheses related to the wearing of clothes or the inhabiting of the aquatic environment by our ancestors. This work aims to compare these hypotheses, present arguments for and against them, and summarize their possible effects on the current state. Keywords: human, great apes, evolution, hair
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Energy consumption of manual wheat grinding
Mařík, Vojtěch ; Hora, Martin (advisor) ; Sládek, Vladimír (referee)
In this thesis, the energy consumption during manual wheat grinding was investigated using two historically widespread and important technologies for grain grinding, namely the saddle quern and the rotary quern. This energy consumption was also compared to some anthropometric parameters of the grinding human. The method of indirect calorimetry using Cosmed K5 was used to measure energy expenditure. Bioimpedance scale InBody270 and basic anthropometric tools such as anthropometer and pelvimeter were used to determine selected body parameters.. The energy expenditure of grinding by the rotary quern was also measured by different movement patterns, namely unimanual clockwise and counter-clockwise rotation and bimanual counter-clockwise rotation. Energy expenditure was sampled on 30 women. It was found that although grinding on a saddle quern is an energetically less demanding activity compared to grinding on a rotary quern, significantly more energy is required to grind the same amount of cereal grains (297 kcal/kg grain vs. 109 kcal/kg grain). Clockwise milling was found to be the most energy-efficient variant of milling, while counter-clockwise milling was more energy demanding (clockwise milling 5.48 1.13 kcal/min vs. counter-clockwise milling 6.21 0.87 kcal/min). Anthropometric parameters...
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Variability of spinopelvic alignment in human evolution
Mrázková, Karolína ; Rmoutilová, Rebeka (advisor) ; Hora, Martin (referee)
Spinopelvic alignment is caudal part of spine and pelvis, its sagittal geometry keeps stability of upright posture and bipedal locomotion. The aim of this bachelors thesis is to describe factors which influence spinopelvic parametres and to summarize main changes of spinopelvic alignment in the human evolution. Although during ontogenesis spinopelvic alignment is formed by acquisition of upright posture and bipedal locomotion, it is very variable in modern human and some parameters stay relatively plastic whole life. It enables to keep biomechanically useful geometry of spinopelvic alignment and to compsate factors which influence spinopelvic alignment. During evolution of hominins spinopelvic alignment changed in context of using bipedalism. It seems that there were exceptions which suggest that there was not just one adaptive way to upright posture and bipedalism.
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Evolutionary hypotheses of obesity origin
Dundr, Matěj ; Hora, Martin (advisor) ; Vážná, Anna (referee)
Obesity is a major social, ecological, economic and health problem of today's civilization. Humans evolved to adapt to a different environment than the one they live in today, had more exercise and consumed natural food sources. The imbalance in energy intake and expenditure that we observe in today's human populations is the most likely cause of obesity. However, this work will deal with a less discussed view of the origin of obesity, namely the possible explanation of the origin of obesity with evolutionary hypotheses. The work will also try to evaluate and discuss, based on a comparison of the available literature, whether these hypotheses could really clarify the origin of obesity at the global level. In the beginning of the thesis, we present the problem of obesity, its prevalence in the population and comorbidities associated with obesity. The next section describes the diagnosis of obesity, followed by a section on the history of obesity. The main part is devoted to the evolutionary hypotheses of obesity, namely the adaptation to frugality hypothesis, the genetic drift hypothesis and then other ecological- behavioral hypotheses and their evaluation. In conclusion, the work summarizes that the described hypotheses could be useful for clarifying the difference in obesity prevalence between...
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The effect of physical activity on human psyche and cognitive functions
Štětka, Martin ; Hora, Martin (advisor) ; Novák, Jan (referee)
In modern society, absence of physical activity is often related not only to physical problems (e.g. the development of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, etc.) but also to mental problems (e.g. depression, anxiety and mood changes) and cognitive problems (e.g. learning, memory and motor problems), which are associated with the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Physical activity appears to be an effective regulator of proper brain ageing and may serve as a preventive measure against the development of many diseases. Individuals who actively engage in physical activity show a slower rate of brain atrophy in advanced age. In addition to regulating proper aging, physical activity can act as a supportive therapeutic tool in the treatment of various psychological problems. This bachelor thesis also discusses neurogenesis, neurodegeneration, evolutionary perspective, types of individual movements, change in mental status after induction of physical activity and development of cognitive abilities of individuals. Keywords: neurogenesis, neurodegeneration, aerobic exercise, anaerobic exercise, depression, anxiety, learning, memory
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Pelvic motion during human locomotion
Hakrová, Kristýna ; Hora, Martin (advisor) ; Rmoutilová, Rebeka (referee)
Previous studies focused on pelvic rotation in relation to step length suggest that (notwithstanding a few other factors) step length is influenced by pelvic rotation. This mechanism is closely linked to australopithecines as the rotation of their relatively wide pelvis allowed them to elongate their step and therefore minimise the energy expenditure whilst covering long distances. Recent studies suggest pelvic rotation is not as a significant contributor to step length as previously suggested. However, most of these studies only focused on walking on level surfaces, and thus the relation between pelvic rotation and step length whilst in locomotion on a slope is undetermined. The aim of this paper is to identify the factors affecting step length, the range of individual pelvic motions, and to build a scheme/pattern of pelvic motions and step length interaction. In the study we used 3D data from 60 volunteers (26 men, 34 women) between the ages of 19 and 38 walking and running (at their own comfortable pace) on a treadmill at three different angles (level, 15 degrees downwards, and 15 degrees upwards). We worked with the average step length and the average pelvic motion range on each slope and with each volunteer given six variables (walking, running - downhill, uphill, level). In order to focus on...
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Kinesiological aspects of lower limb bilateral asymmetry
Vondrášek, David ; Hora, Martin (advisor) ; Sládek, Vladimír (referee)
Lower limbs are under the influence of relatively symmetrical loading of gait, and even so there has been evidence of bilateral asymmetry of lower limb bones in skeletal remains. The goal of this study was to search literature for possible causes of bilateral asymmetry found in dimensions of lower limb bones. This bachelor's thesis views bilateral asymmetry of lower limbs of living human from a perspective of bilateral activities, such as walking, squats and jumps and from a perspective of unilateral activities, for example kicking in football and in Taekwondo. 59 scientific articles were used in total to write this bachelor's thesis. Results of scientific articles show, that one possible cause of bilateral asymmetry of lower limb bones is preference of the lower limbs for unilateral activities. According to kinesiological articles, the unilateral kicking activity creates great mechanical loading in hip, knee and ankle joints of the kicking lower limb.
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Importance of endurance running in human evolution
Hola, Tomáš ; Hora, Martin (advisor) ; Brůžek, Jaroslav (referee)
Human evolution and the evolution of our appearance in time is a research subject for a long time. This work summarizes existing studies, opinions and knowledge about possible importance of endurance running in the human evolution. This work analyzes possible benefits of the orientation on the endurance running and adaptations that are pointing on a possibility of the orientation on the endurance running by early Homo. In the first part of my work I will focus on the possible use of endurance running by early Homo. I will analyze a possibility of using the endurance running for scavenging and in competition with other predators for carcasses. In the next part I will analyze possibilities of using endurance running for persistance hunting. Early Homo could hunt down their prey, drive it to exhaustion and then kill it from close range. In the second part of my work I will analyze adaptations that could allow early Homo to practice endurance running. I will analyze adaptations in thermoregulation, that allow to dissipate heat generated by running. Then I will analyze energetic costs and adaptations that are decreasing energetic cost of running. Finally I will analyze anatomical adaptations that allow running, e.g. by keeping stability of human body. Key words: Thermoregulation, early Homo, human evolution,...
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Development of human postcranial skeleton depending on terrain
Turková, Eliška ; Sládek, Vladimír (advisor) ; Hora, Martin (referee)
A human bone is a dynamic structure that changes tissue arrangement according to inner and outer stimuli. The outer stimuli include among others the mechanical, environmental, and climatic ones. The impact of mechanical stimuli on the bones shows already with natural activities such as walking and running through change in the shape of a transverse bone cross section. The changes in the bone cross section can be observed on bone findings of ancient populations. The cross section shape of the long bones of lower extremities changes from the Palaeolithic to Neolithic population in such a way that the circulation of transverse cross-section increases. The explanation of this trend lies in the change of subsistence strategies from the Palaeolithic to the Neolithic era. The subsistence economy of the Palaeolithic population demanded more movement in comparison to the Neolithic population that lived a more sedentary lifestyle. This trend might be challenged by few bone findings of the Neolithic population from the mountain regions (e.g. Liguria, Italy) whose transverse bone cross section are more of a elliptic shape. Those excavations are mostly situated in the mountain regions with a demanding terrain. The outcomes presented in this study suggest that terrain is one of the factors that affect the...
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Throwing ability in human evolution
Struška, Michal ; Sládek, Vladimír (advisor) ; Hora, Martin (referee)
The aim of this thesis is to describe the origin of bone markers that characterize individuals who throw habitually and the usability of these markers in research of past populations. The thesis also summarizes knowledge of the origin and development of projectile weapons in Pleistocene. The effectiveness (accuracy and speed) of throw is probably related to differences in morphology of pectoral girdle, torso and hand. Therefore, a part of the text summarizes the morphology of pectoral girdle, torso and hand in the species H. erectus, which was probably the first group of hominins able to throw with effectiveness close to the one of anatomically modern humans. The development of projectile technology, which came after the adoption of effective throwing ability, is usually inferred from archaeological findings of spears and arrows. Various interpretations of archaeologically found weapons bring different conclusions regarding the usage of these weapons. The usage may be inferred from bone characteristics originating as consequences of moves that individual executes when manipulating weapons.
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