P D Ball’s Story Newsletter No. 9
Jul 18, 2023 2:18 am
P D Ball’s Newsletter No. 9
Hello! I hope you are doing well. And somehow staying cool! This summer, if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, looks to be a hot one.
For this month’s newsletter: the evolution of our weak human muscles
Contents:
First Words
Not Really Behind the Scenes
Group Promos
Three Author’s new books, including a freebie
Progress
Book 5 is about the same size as Book 1 right now. I’ve still got a ways to go, though, and giving it the care it needs. I should have a preview chapter and hopefully maps by the next newsletter.
Not really behind the Scenes: Musculature in Human Evolution
This essay has little to do with Cayce. Very little! There’s a part in Book 1 where I describe Cayce’s new body as being stronger than she’s used to, can row all day without getting tired, and so on. That’s tangentially related to what I’m about to discuss.
As an anthropologist, I have a fascination with an unusual bit of human evolutionary history. It’s about how us humans became so weak.
Paleoanthropologists often note that Neanderthals were so strong that they could crush a persons’ hand very easily in a handshake. They had massive joints and ligament attachment sites and therefore massive muscles. It’s estimated that they required between 4200-5000 calories per day.
What’s not often mentioned is that humans living at the same time were almost as strong. The earliest humans in the H. sapiens species category were tall, usually over six feet, well built, with strong bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles. The very first ancient human cast I got to touch, as a lowly undergrad, was six foot eight. He lived and died around 35 000 years ago. It’s estimated that these early humans required 3600-4400 calories per day, which is nearly double what us computer using, sedentary humans need.
An archaeologist friend of mine dug up a woman from about 26 000 years ago. Her joints were so massive that, he told me, “She could tear apart 3 professional MMA fighters without breaking a sweat.”
From about 50 000 to 13 000 years ago, our ancestors became weaker and weaker in a non-linear fashion. Some people were born with what we would think of as normal strength while others were like the woman my friend unearthed. Little by little, we lost the strength that other animals of similar size have, like chimpanzees and jaguars.
So, what happened?
One suggestion is that our brains required so much energy that our muscles had to go. I find this particular hypothesis weak because the large human brain shows up some 200-300 thousand years ago in the fossil record. Humans have actually had large brains and massive musculature longer than we’ve been without the musculature.
The hypothesis I find most convincing is that the gradual improvement in technology made strength less and less necessary for survival. Instead of needing to fight animals hand to hand, we used spears and bows. Instead of needing to bite through tough animal skin, we used cutting tools and these were improved over time. And cooking made food easier to digest while also removing various toxins (non-domesticated plants often bind their nutrients to toxins, making them difficult to digest; hence herbivores have such large and sophisticated stomachs to process these). Later, we used animals to carry our stuff, till our fields, and even carry us.
Little by little, the improvements in technology made it easier to live and required less brute force to use.
Once a trait becomes unnecessary for survival, mutations can disrupt it without preventing survival and reproduction. So, genes that produce unnecessary traits tend to build up mutations until they stop working. Because our great musculature was no longer necessary, humans born weaker than their ancestors were able to survive and reproduce just fine. But imagine what their grandparents would say! “Kids these days, so tiny and weak . . .”
The loss in musculature stabilized around 13 000 years ago, which coincides with the intensification of food production and farming. From this point to relatively recently with the industrial revolution, people became shorter, to an average of 5’4” in the medieval ages.
Agriculture, as much as it expanded calorie surplus, brought with it increased disease and decreased food variety and nutrition. Most foraging peoples use over 750 different species of plants and animals, which is considerably greater than people in developed nations. And, it’s estimated that foragers consume three times the level of bacteria that urbanites do, and double to triple the number of vitamins and antioxidants. Farmers lose out on variety of foods, volume of antioxidants and vitamins, and helpful bacteria.
These twin factors – increased disease loads and decreased nutrition – started making people shorter in stature and weaker right up until the industrial revolution got underway and we developed ways to reduce disease: sewage systems prevent the fecal to oral route of damaging parasites, pavement decreases mosquito and other biting bug populations, television, believe it or not, reduced human interaction and therefore disease transmission and, of course, advances in medicine (vaccines and antibiotics).
Add the unlimited calories and easy access to nutrition in our modern societies and, bang, we’re back! People are getting stronger and taller again. With exercise and proper food and nutrition, people are starting to reach the levels of bodily stature and strength that our ancestors had after 13 kya.
It’s sometimes said that 5-6 million years wasn’t enough evolutionary time to fix our backs – mainly said by doctors who examine back problems – but this is actually backwards. Our muscular and skeletal systems originally evolved to be very strong, then evolved to become weaker essentially because of disuse.
So, if you have had back pain, had to replace your hips, knees or shoulders, the fault here is with our ancestors when they invented throwing weapons, bows and spears, better knives, and used their brains instead of brute force, to survive. The human body was designed strong and tough, but we innovated easier ways of living, possibly to our detriment and to the happiness of the medical industry.
Lots of books to check out, even if only to see their great covers:
Or follow the raw link: https://storyoriginapp.com/to/VcpV3yt
Or follow the raw link: https://storyoriginapp.com/to/DpKQQKR
Other authors to check out (including a free one):
The Slates sailed across the ocean to challenge the oppressive rule of the Ràej and eradicate the potent magic they wielded to dominate Omneth. Along with their liberation, the people were granted magic-filled Pebbles to foster equality. New structures arose to accommodate the Officials, who would guide and safeguard Omneth's inhabitants, and academies that would train aspiring Officials to master the art of Pebble Pinching.
Terhese stands on the cusp of achieving her dream of becoming an Official. Mere weeks before she departs for the prestigious Sandstone Academy, her powers reveal their true essence - descending from the long-gone, tyrannical Ràej. Accepting her newfound identity would mean certain death, so she has no choice but to continue on her path and begin her studies at the academy. Urged to keep her magic concealed, Terhese is drawn towards temptation as she spends time with newfound friends on sunlit beaches and around nighttime bonfires, sharing bottles of green and amber spirits. Enigmatic shadows of long-extinct creatures and unraveling deceptions encircle her.
How long will Terhese be able to maintain the secrecy of her forbidden Ràej powers from everyone in her life, including the man who appears to be unbelievably perfect?
https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/822610d0-20de-11ee-adaf-bbfde649072c
Worlds collide as three boys find themselves sought after for abilities they didn't know they had, abilities that may yet quell the darkness that is awakening across the realm of Endland. That is, of course, if they can survive the interdimensional portal to get there.
Dubbed as Chosen, the three friends must quickly come to grips with their new reality as squabbling wizards, arrogant kings, amusing exiles, and mythical monsters vie for control of the young Chosen and their unique gifts.
Should they fall into the wrong hands, not only will Endland be ensnared in the shadow of the Grim King, but so too will the rest of the interdimensional space beyond, including Earth and the families they left behind.
If you liked LOTR, Percy Jackson, or The Wheel of Time, then you will love Chosen!
https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/1457406a-0ca2-11ee-a0c5-1f6597ba0421
This next one is free!
How the dark fantasy romance started. This short prequel tells of the origin of Dark Forest Dryad, Lucy, who began as Leuce, the ancient tree dryad, as Lucy's Gran told her the story. Based on the Greek Myth and Folklore of Apollo the Sun God and Daphne.
https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/f63ff5f6-0a60-11ee-a391-9fb33927341e