The Design of the Foot

[Iridis_vi1]

I've been thinking a bit about this, how the foot has evolved from the common belief that we evolved from primates. If you look at the foot of a primate like a gorrila or a monkey, you see that their feet look the same as their hands, they can even use them to climb trees and such. If you also see the skeletal structure of the foot, you see that the actual solid bone part of the foot is very small, it only constitues the heel of the foot, the bones of the toes go all the way back to this, but it has evolved so the length of the toes had become less than the fingers, which have remained relatively unchanged. Also, where the foot used to have a thumb, this has gone from the side to the front, and has become the big toe.
This has always intrigued me, how these things came about. I think it has to do with how when the first primates become able to walk, the foot was used less and less like an extra set of hands, and more as a mode for locomotion, and so it evolved to become designed for placing all the weight of the body on it and lost it ability to work as a hand.
I've also speculated that in the future as the species continues to evolve if it does, that the toes will be lost altogether and the foot will become one solid mass. This would be a huge loss if such a thing was to happen, but I think it is highly unlikely.
Anyway, just thought I might post this here, it has always intrigued me and wondered if anyone else was interested in such things.

 

[MistressValerie1]

I have read that the toes are part of the balancing mechanism of the human foot, so they would probably not disappear entirely, even in an infinite evolution scenario 🙂

 

[Camel26]

We will, most likely, according to scientific types, lose our little toe as humans continue to evolve...we will not, however, unless we stop walking, lose all of our toes. Ambulation/walking consists of a cycle of events---the gait cycle. During this cycle, and because of this cycle, our foot has become what it is. The heel was designed with a fat pad that can absorb the impact of the full weight of the body repeatedly for as long as we live that no man-made substance can recreate. The heel hits the ground, to begin the gait cycle with "heelstrike". As your weight shifts over your foot, into pre-stance, and stance phases, the bones in your foot/the arch of your foot are made to support the full weight of your body as its weight passes over/through. As that weight is transferred to your toes, and your heel lifts off the ground, your toes, the last thing to leave the ground during the "toe-off" phase, were designed where/how they are to offer an energy burst before leaving the ground. Your big toe especially offers an extra push for momentum while walking. Your foot now enters the swing phase, allowing the opposite foot to enter stance phase.

When standing still, your toes/ankle help you to correct the minor purturbations that occur and counter them to allow you to maintain upright posture--allowing you to remain upright, and not lose your balance.

The foot is a wonderful thing.

This has been a message from your local Physical Therapist.

Thank you. 😀

Now...GO LOVE YOUR FEET OR SOMEONE ELSE'S (with their permission...😉)