Achilles heel 'key'

Sep 12 2007

The formation of an "Achilles heel" could ironically have been the defining moment in early man's development, researchers suggested.

The Achilles tendon, acting as a big spring to store energy, would have allowed man to run with greater efficiency and at greater speed, a University of Manchester study found.

Dr Bill Sellers, who led the research at the university's Faculty of Life Sciences, said: "How we have evolved from our common ancestor with chimpanzees six million years ago is a fundamental question. Walking upright seems to be the very first thing that distinguishes our ancestors from other apes, so finding out about this should help us map the evolutionary pathway to modern humans."