Home > Health & Nutrition

Ancestors had stronger bones than modern humans

Skeletons running.

Ancestors has stronger bones than modern humans.The stronger bones of our ancestors show how they were more active than we are, but it doesn’t take too much work to keep up.

New research out of Cambridge University’s Department of Archaeology and Anthropology has found that the lower leg bones — the tibia and fibula — of humans who lived in Central Europe during the time between 5,300BC  and AD 850 progressively weakened, making the most notable weakening shortly after the rise of agricultural society in the region.

That’s not to say everyone today should be worrying about their bones. Bones are highly adaptable and respond to physical stress by strengthening, and regular runners and walkers will still have strong bones. The bones of those who lived in 5,300 BC were noted in the research as being about the same strength as high school cross-country runners today.

The research was done by PhD candidate Alison Macintosh. She used a laser scanner to  test the rigidity and strength of the bones from skeletons found in cemeteries of the Danube River Valley. Her work suggests that, with the rise of agriculture in Central Europe, humans became less active, travelled less distance and did fewer physically demanding tasks.

The weakening of the bones largely levelled off and the bones of those who lived in 850 were similar to sedentary individuals today.

 

Check out the latest buyer's guide:

The best trainers in Canada under $150

We curated the best performance trainers under $150 to meet your 2024 running goals, while staying on budget