Pearson eText Biology: Life on Earth with Physiology -- Instant Access (Pearson+)
12th Edition
ISBN: 9780135755785
Author: Gerald Audesirk, Teresa Audesirk
Publisher: PEARSON+
expand_more
expand_more
format_list_bulleted
Concept explainers
Videos
Textbook Question
Chapter 15.3, Problem 1HYEW
Between 70% and 85% of people will experience lower back pain at some point in life, and for many people, the condition is chronic. This state of affairs is an unfortunately painful consequence of the evolutionary process. We walk upright on two legs, but our distant ancestors walked on all fours. Thus, natural selection formed our vertically oriented spine by remodeling one whose normal orientation was parallel to the ground. Our spinal anatomy evolved some modifications in response to its new posture, but as is often the case with evolution, the changes involved some trade-offs. The arrangements of bone and muscle that permit our smooth, bipedal gait also generate vertical compression of the spine, and the resulting pressure can, and frequently does, cause painful damage to muscle and nerve tissues.
Why Backaches Are So Common?
Expert Solution & Answer
Want to see the full answer?
Check out a sample textbook solution
Students have asked these similar questions
Adaptations are physical or behavioral traits that help an organism survive in its environment. What are some of the adaptations in the evolution of hominins that allowed for the evolution of the genus Homo to evolve (eventually) into modern humans (Homo sapiens)? (Note: you don’t have to explain why these adaptations allowed the genus to evolve, just list some of the adaptations.)
On the back of the human skull, there is a small bump, below which is an opening where the spinal cord enters the skull. Which of the following statements provides the best
evolutionary explanation for the location of the opening near the base of the skull?
It is associated with the change to a bipedal stance.
It provided greater protection for the spinal cord.
It allowed for the hominin brain to grow much larger than other primates.
This change was necessary for the increase in size from prosimian forms to anthropoid forms.
A scientist discovered a new factor, Sneezy, to be important for the central nervous system
development. This factor is concentrated at the posterior end of the neural tube during
development. If a mutation inactivates the activity of Sneezy, which phenotype below would be
the most likely result of this mutation?
Smaller brain with longer spinal cord.
Fused brain hemispheres and overdeveloped spinal cord.
Larger brain with shorter spinal cord.
Underdeveloped brain and underdeveloped spinal cord.
Overdeveloped brain and overdeveloped spional cord.
Chapter 15 Solutions
Pearson eText Biology: Life on Earth with Physiology -- Instant Access (Pearson+)
Ch. 15.1 - identify some of the thinkers whose ideas set the...Ch. 15.1 - Prob. 2CYLCh. 15.1 - define evolution?Ch. 15.2 - A recent study found that Galpagos mockingbirds on...Ch. 15.2 - Prob. 2TCCh. 15.2 - explain how natural selection works and how it...Ch. 15.2 - describe the logic, based on four postulates, by...Ch. 15.3 - The fossil history of some kinds of modem...Ch. 15.3 - What Good Are Wisdom Teeth and Ostrich Wings?...Ch. 15.3 - Are a peacocks tail and a dogs tail homologous...
Ch. 15.3 - Between 70% and 85% of people will experience...Ch. 15.3 - describe the evidence that evolution has occurred?Ch. 15.3 - explain the difference between similarity due to...Ch. 15.3 - What Good Are Wisdom Teeth and Ostrich Wings? Just...Ch. 15.4 - To reduce the incidence of pesticide resistance,...Ch. 15.4 - describe some observations and experiments that...Ch. 15.4 - Some advocates of the view that all organisms were...Ch. 15 - Whale skeletons contain nonfunctional pelvic bones...Ch. 15 - Darwin was influenced by Malthuss thinking about...Ch. 15 - Prob. 3MCCh. 15 - Which of the following is not required for...Ch. 15 - Prob. 5MCCh. 15 - The flipper of a seal is homologous with the _____...Ch. 15 - Prob. 2FIBCh. 15 - Georges Cuvier espoused a concept called ______ to...Ch. 15 - Prob. 4FIBCh. 15 - Prob. 5FIBCh. 15 - Darwin's postulate 2 states that ______. The work...Ch. 15 - Prob. 1RQCh. 15 - Distinguish between catastrophism and...Ch. 15 - Describe Lamarcks theory of inheritance of...Ch. 15 - What is natural selection? Describe how natural...Ch. 15 - Describe how evolution occurs. In your...Ch. 15 - What is convergent evolution? Give an example.Ch. 15 - How do biochemistry and molecular genetics...Ch. 15 - In what sense are humans currently acting as...Ch. 15 - In discussions of untapped human potential, It is...Ch. 15 - Does evolution through natural selection produce...
Knowledge Booster
Learn more about
Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, biology and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.Similar questions
- In many ways, modern human lifestyles are at odds with our bipedal locomotion. At no point in history have humans been as inactive as today (especially in developing nations), which has led to a number of physical ailments, such as obesity, loss of mobility, and low back pain. What are some other impacts of evolution on our species? What are some ways we can alleviate these problems?arrow_forwardSome human traits may have arisen by sexual selection. Over thousands of years, women attracted to charming, witty men perhaps prompted the development of human intellect beyond what was necessary for mere survival. Men attracted to women with juvenile features may have shifted the species as a whole to be less hairy and softer featured than any of our simian relatives. Can you think of a way to test this hypothesis?arrow_forwardSome people think that many of our uniquely human traits arose by sexual selection. Over thousands of years, women attracted to charming, witty men perhaps prompted the development of human intellect beyond what was necessary for mere survival. Men attracted to women with juvenile features may have shifted the species as a whole to be less hairy and softer featured than any of our simian relatives. Can you think of a way to test these hypotheses?arrow_forward
- Researchers studying whether a certain new medicine reduces pain conducted the following study. (Note the following is a made-up example). Subjects with painful arthritis were randomly assigned to one of three groups: *Group A received a yellow pill with real medicine-the medicine being evaluated. *Group B received no medicine, no pill. Group C received a fake pill-yellow 1 with no medicine in it. Subjects with painful arthritis used a ten-point pain scale to rate their joint pain before and after their treatment. Which of the groups is the placebo group? (a) Group A (b) Group B (c) Group Carrow_forwardWe have discussed the role of meat consumption in hominin evolution as an important source of fuel for our larger and metabolically costly brains. Do you think this hypothesis for why we have such large brains has merit? Why or why not? Can you think of any alternative hypotheses to explain the trend toward larger brain size over the past 2.5 mya?arrow_forwardThe ancestors of extant tetrapods first evolved the ability to live out of water over 350 million years ago. Which of the following had to have been true for natural selection to have favored the original evolution of limbs? A) Closely related lineages that remained in the ocean must have gone extinct. There must have been differences in survival and or/reproduction based on size, musculature, bones or other (B functional aspects of early limbs. Large predators must have been a major source of mortality for populations that spent more time in the water and less on land. The ability of some ancestral fish-tetrapod transitional forms to move from one body of water to another during D droughts must have led to decreased mortality. E There must have been less competition for food on land.arrow_forward
- Chimpanzees and humans obviously look and act very differently, but their genomes are remarkably similar. What types of mechanisms could explain how small differences in genotype can result in such large differences in phenotype?arrow_forwardWhat is Neil Shubin (the narrator) looking for? 2.What job does Neil have? 3.Fish were the first creatures with what trait? 4.When did the first mammals show up? 5.Sir Richard Owen was the first scientist to notice what skeletal pattern? 6.Instead of limbs fish have what? 7.Where did the paleontologists go for their first expedition? 8.What type of environment was the Canadian Arctic hundreds of millions of years ago? 9.In the early stages of development, all animals begin as what? 10. If you look at a fish and human embryo side by side, how similar do they look?arrow_forwardSome human traits may have arisen by sexual selection. Over thousands of years, women attracted to charming, witty men perhaps prompted the development of human intellect beyond what was necessary for mere survival. Men attracted to women with juvenile features may have shifted the species as a whole to be less hairy and softer featured than any of our simian relatives. Can you think of a way to test this hypotheses?arrow_forward
- Regardless, many people have a problem with the idea of evolution. Why? To complete it, answer some of the following questions: Why is evolution so controversial? Does understanding it better make it less controversial? What were you taught to think/believe about evolution? Why?arrow_forwardAnatomical Definition: Anatomical evidence for evolution is... How evidence supports evolution: This evidence shows that living things change over time (evolution) because... Real-World Example: An animal that you can see this evidence for evolution in is... Picture/Diagram rces ofarrow_forwardThe presence of tiny hairs, called setae, on the toe pads of some geckos is associated with the ability to adhere to smooth surfaces. This ability allows geckos to climb in areas where many predators cannot. Scientists studying the evolution of setae have identified three closely related species of gecko, only one of which can adhere to smooth surfaces. A model of the evolutionary relatedness between these species is represented in the figure. Which of the following statements is an accurate interpretation of the labeled branch points on the model?arrow_forward
arrow_back_ios
SEE MORE QUESTIONS
arrow_forward_ios
Recommended textbooks for you
Human Anatomy & Physiology (11th Edition)BiologyISBN:9780134580999Author:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. HoehnPublisher:PEARSON
Biology 2eBiologyISBN:9781947172517Author:Matthew Douglas, Jung Choi, Mary Ann ClarkPublisher:OpenStax
Anatomy & PhysiologyBiologyISBN:9781259398629Author:McKinley, Michael P., O'loughlin, Valerie Dean, Bidle, Theresa StouterPublisher:Mcgraw Hill Education,
Molecular Biology of the Cell (Sixth Edition)BiologyISBN:9780815344322Author:Bruce Alberts, Alexander D. Johnson, Julian Lewis, David Morgan, Martin Raff, Keith Roberts, Peter WalterPublisher:W. W. Norton & Company
Laboratory Manual For Human Anatomy & PhysiologyBiologyISBN:9781260159363Author:Martin, Terry R., Prentice-craver, CynthiaPublisher:McGraw-Hill Publishing Co.
Inquiry Into Life (16th Edition)BiologyISBN:9781260231700Author:Sylvia S. Mader, Michael WindelspechtPublisher:McGraw Hill Education
Human Anatomy & Physiology (11th Edition)
Biology
ISBN:9780134580999
Author:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn
Publisher:PEARSON
Biology 2e
Biology
ISBN:9781947172517
Author:Matthew Douglas, Jung Choi, Mary Ann Clark
Publisher:OpenStax
Anatomy & Physiology
Biology
ISBN:9781259398629
Author:McKinley, Michael P., O'loughlin, Valerie Dean, Bidle, Theresa Stouter
Publisher:Mcgraw Hill Education,
Molecular Biology of the Cell (Sixth Edition)
Biology
ISBN:9780815344322
Author:Bruce Alberts, Alexander D. Johnson, Julian Lewis, David Morgan, Martin Raff, Keith Roberts, Peter Walter
Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company
Laboratory Manual For Human Anatomy & Physiology
Biology
ISBN:9781260159363
Author:Martin, Terry R., Prentice-craver, Cynthia
Publisher:McGraw-Hill Publishing Co.
Inquiry Into Life (16th Edition)
Biology
ISBN:9781260231700
Author:Sylvia S. Mader, Michael Windelspecht
Publisher:McGraw Hill Education
The Sensorimotor System and Human Reflexes; Author: Professor Dave Explains;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0PEXquyhA4;License: Standard youtube license