Why Small Children Can't Walk Right Away

[Ci7]

It can take many months for a human newborn child to learn how to walk. In the first few months of life, the child is highly dependent on its parents for everything, and they learn to move on their own after much experimenting and failure. Experts have wondered for a long time why this is the case with our species, when other higher mammals give birth to cubs that are able to walk within hours of being born. The work uncovered that, in fact, all animals began to walk at the same stage in brain development. It would then appear that it takes a longer time for children to reach it, LiveScience reports.

Another factor that was determined to be of great importance in predicting the time when a creature would begin to walk was the size of that species' mature brain, as well as the type of stride it employed. For example, we walk by placing our heels on the ground, and placing all our body's weight on the bones. Other animals, such as cats and horses, step on the toes, or the equivalent of toes (hoofs), and do not place their heels on the ground, except in rare occasions.

According to the lead researcher on the new study, expert Martin Garwicz , from the Lund University in Sweden, it may be that, "The neuronal mechanisms that underlie the onset of walking are very similar in different mammals, and that they are activated at a very similar relative time point during brain development." Details of the new investigation appear in the current issue of the respected journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). How humans start walking is "something I've always wondered about/ Even children ask this question ? how come a little foal can start walking straight after birth and it takes us such a long time?" he adds.

In the new work, he and his team looked at more than 24 mammal species (including chimps, hippos, camels and guinea pigs), and analyzed the correlations between a number of characteristic factors, such as the brain size and limb biomechanics. The group also set the reference time for the experiments to represent the moment of conception, and not that of the birth. The expert says that, when accounting for the development stage that the brain undergoes while the children are still inside the womb, different brain-mass patterns appear, and can be more easily explained.

"By increasing the time of development we grow a brain that is so much larger and so much more complex, and at first glance would seem so different from other species. But maybe the underlying principles and building blocks of development are similar in different species," Garwicz says. "It is possible using our model and data from other mammals you can predict when a human baby will start walking despite the fact that we walk on two legs, despite the fact that we have a large brain, and despite the fact that we learn many other things," he concludes.

source

[jonhapimp]

Good to know

[Growled Member]

Interesting stuff. Thanks.

[SimplySchizo]

i lack sleep atm but isnt it harder to walk let alone stand and balance on 2 feet than it is on 4's ? i mean "chimps, hippos, camels and guinea pigs) c'mon. try to balance a chair on 2 legs, takes a bit to master.

[undu]

They don't explain why the baby doesn't stay inside the womb for a longer time than it is: women's pelvis would have to be too wide for them to easily walk.

In the same documentary I also heard that the humans' brain takes longer to fully develop than other mammals, this isn't really a surprise for me, just a confirmation ;)

[_neutrino Veteran]

Interesting to know. However im with Schiz on this one Balance is required for Humans to walk where as for the others they depend mostly on 4 limbs.

[+Xinok Subscriber²]

Damn quadrupeds, making us bipeds look bad.

I agree with what everyone else is saying though. If they wanted to do a fair comparison, they should have compared how long it takes us to crawl rather than how long it takes us to walk upright.

I also saw nothing in the article about muscular development. Humans have much larger legs than most other mammals, so it takes longer to develop enough muscle for us to walk upright.

There are four stages that a baby goes through:

The army crawl -> The baby doesn't yet have enough muscle to hold him/herself up, so they drag themselves along the carpet instead.

Crawling -> Moving around on hands and knees. Humans have longer legs than arms, so we use our knees for crawling instead. If we use our feet, our ass sticks up in the air like when you pet a cat. Also, our kneecaps are on the wrong way.

Standing -> Not walking, but standing up straight for short periods of time without a parent holding you up or holding onto a piece of furniture.

Walking -> Finally moving around on two legs without assistance, then falling and cracking your head open on the coffee table.

[Joel]

If the baby stayed in the womb until their brain was ready for them to walk, they'd never get their heads through the birth canal. Their brains would be too large and they and their mother would die.

And it still takes ages compared to the animals they showed for us to crawl also.

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

From my understanding, we're born premature because of our large brains. If a baby were to stay in its mother's womb until its brain was fully developed, it wouldn't be able to fit through the birth canal.

[Joel]

From my understanding, we're born premature because of our large brains. If a baby were to stay in its mother's womb until its brain was fully developed, it wouldn't be able to fit through the birth canal.

Look up 11 minutes. ;)

[draelas]

i found it funny that at 12 weeks old, my dog knew she had to pee outside, knew what sit, laydown, stay and heel meant. she could also feed herself.

lol tho at 12 weeks a human baby can....sleep?

[jonhapimp]

i found it funny that at 12 weeks old, my dog knew she had to pee outside, knew what sit, laydown, stay and heel meant. she could also feed herself.

lol tho at 12 weeks a human baby can....sleep?

But the dog will only live till it's around 13 or it get's hit by the milk truck(if it survives it will learn)

[draelas]

But the dog will only live till it's around 13 or it get's hit by the milk truck(if it survives it will learn)

i dunno, shes too smart for her own good sometimes.

[soniqstylz]

My boy turns 9 months Friday, and he can walk holding himself on his crib (or pack n' play) railing.

You'd also have to consider that in the wild, it's imperitive for animals to be able to walk, the herd can't wait around for you. Apes in general are communal, stick to certain areas, and are able to be carried/held, so they can develop other skills (like breaking remote controls and hiding car keys).

[qdave]

If the baby stayed in the womb until their brain was ready for them to walk, they'd never get their heads through the birth canal. Their brains would be too large and they and their mother would die.

And it still takes ages compared to the animals they showed for us to crawl also.

What if birth cannal was wider to accomodate bigger head? :p

[petrossa]

Humans are born with all proper modules ready installed as all other mammals. The neural network that handles walking is present at birth. The problem rises by the neo-cortex needing to be pruned so the whole brain doesn't light up like a xmas tree so it doesn't interfere with the automated motor centers.

When born the brain has neurons linking almost everything with everything else, during aging the brain gets pruned in the areas not/less used and reinforced in those areas more used. That way the brain integrates all the different input from the autonomous body control centers, locomotion etc.

In a human this takes longer since the brain is larger and more complex. More modules need to be integrated so it takes longer.

Nothing special about it.

[still1]

interesting!!!!

[Shadrack]

i found it funny that at 12 weeks old, my dog knew she had to pee outside, knew what sit, laydown, stay and heel meant. she could also feed herself.

lol tho at 12 weeks a human baby can....sleep?

Those commands and behavior patterns are bread into the species. Even before domestication, packs of dogs wouldn't pee or poop in their own den. If the puppy makes that connection early, then you are lucky (for some it takes longer than others). One of my dogs seemed to take 7 months to be completely house broken. She was a struggle.

I think its funny how some puppies seem to get really excited when you put a collar on them and even a leash for the first time. These objects, in some light, can be seen as a way for humans to dominate over this domesticated animal. Generations of dogs have had collars and leashes that it is almost part of their genetic code to have those things.

[petrossa]

Those commands and behavior patterns are bread into the species. Even before domestication, packs of dogs wouldn't pee or poop in their own den. If the puppy makes that connection early, then you are lucky (for some it takes longer than others). One of my dogs seemed to take 7 months to be completely house broken. She was a struggle.

I think its funny how some puppies seem to get really excited when you put a collar on them and even a leash for the first time. These objects, in some light, can be seen as a way for humans to dominate over this domesticated animal. Generations of dogs have had collars and leashes that it is almost part of their genetic code to have those things.

At 3 years mine ****es finally only in the kitchen on a towel. I don't complain, beats walking the dog at 5 am in the rain.

But humans are no different from being born with behavior preprogrammed in. Look how a baby finds the nipple, it's not like its aware its a nipple or a source of nutrition.

The dive reflex, the foot reflex all preprogrammed. No difference there with any other mammal

[GreenMartian]

Look how a baby finds the nipple, it's not like its aware its a nipple or a source of nutrition.

The dive reflex, the foot reflex all preprogrammed.

In conclusion, football players really shouldn't get paid as much as they do nowadays. What they do on the field is as hard as finding a nipple.

:D :p

[petrossa]

In conclusion, football players really shouldn't get paid as much as they do nowadays. What they do on the field is as hard as finding a nipple.

:D :p

If you really extrapolate, yes that's somewhat true. All repetitive motions are hardwired in the motor centers by training. This is why all athletes, martial arts, sports people outclass a regular person.

The movements are preset, the only thing the brain has to do is activate the correct sequence. An untrained person the brain has to work out first the proper sequence. So they'll always be way slower than a trained person but the basic principle is indeed the same.

[soniqstylz]

What if birth cannal was wider to accomodate bigger head? :p

[jonhapimp]

What if birth cannal was wider to accomodate bigger head? :p

1. sex would suck

2.

[PricklyPoo]

Humans are born with all proper modules ready installed as all other mammals. The neural network that handles walking is present at birth. The problem rises by the neo-cortex needing to be pruned so the whole brain doesn't light up like a xmas tree so it doesn't interfere with the automated motor centers.

When born the brain has neurons linking almost everything with everything else, during aging the brain gets pruned in the areas not/less used and reinforced in those areas more used. That way the brain integrates all the different input from the autonomous body control centers, locomotion etc.

In a human this takes longer since the brain is larger and more complex. More modules need to be integrated so it takes longer.

Nothing special about it.

Well growing up around horses as a kid, people always told me, "Look how amazing horses are, unlike humans, they can walk within the first few hours of birth!" I was always told it was attributed only to the fact that they are prey animals, so they need to quickly learn how to run...Is it also because horses have small brains?

[shockz]

:rofl: