Chimps on Treadmills: The Thing We Do in the Name of Science

Alex

What you get for putting a chimp on a treadmill in the name of science:

1. Scientific findings that energy savings played a role the evolution of bipedalism (walking on two legs):

Chimpanzees scampering on a treadmill have provided support for the notion that ancient human ancestors began walking on two legs because it used less energy than quadrupedal knuckle-walking, scientists said.

Writing on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers said people walking on a treadmill used just a quarter of the energy relative to their size compared to chimpanzees knuckle-walking on four legs.

2. Tired and pissed off chimps, who learned how to turn the darned thing off.

The chimpanzees were taught to walk on the treadmill both quadrupedally and bipedally, the scientists said.

"These guys are smart enough that they would hit the stop button on the treadmill when they were done. If they didn't want to walk on the treadmill, they'd just hit the stop button or they'd jump off," Raichlen said.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/07/17/chimps.on.treadmills.reut/index.html - Thanks Tiffany!


Comments (1)

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Oh, the things people will do to try to scrounge up "evidence" for a hopeless theory. Monkeys on treadmills might make for a good video, but it certainly doesn't help the cause for Evolution. There still remain zero observed/proven examples of any macroevolution.
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There is a commercial airing now which advertises some product then shows a man blowing a bubble and encapsulating a kitten in the bubble. The man says something like "We can put kittens in bubbles" and this has nothing at all to do with the product. Same strategy of transference.
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totally agreeing with Matt...selling a food product definitely requires a cleaner looking set and, much as i like kittens, i don't want to think about kitten hair in my salsa.
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It's a cute concept (because who doesn't love cavorting baby animals?), but yeah... that set was pretty nasty-looking to be hawking a food product. And honestly, when I'm thinking of salsa, Brooklyn is not the first place that comes to mind.
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@WordyGrrl: Only if it's salsa made from chopped-up hipsters.

But then, if I want to taste PBR and bitterness, I'll just go to a liquor store and grab a lime or two at the checkout.

I guess I can get a pack of American Spirit smokes to throw in there, too while I'm at it.

But yes, that set was uncool for a food shoot.

...Maybe they were Hipster Kittens in their dirty hipster apartment?
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SUCH good salsa and SUCH cute kittens! They filmed this at an animal shelter, not in a kitchen. And you may not think of Brooklyn for salsa, but they don't make your ordinary salsa...
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