Monkey Feet

For every monkey bar swinging, tree climbing child or grandchild of mine that I've declared part monkey on their Daddy’s side, guess what? There may be something to that. According to a study done at Boston University one in thirteen of you (and me) have feet that are especially adapted for climbing trees and probably don’t know it. The other 12 have more rigid feet efficient for walking. 400 people had their feet filmed as they walked around the Boston Museum of Science and the result showed 8% had mid-foot flexibility. Researchers seem to think these monkey feet (as I like to call them) are a relic of our ancestors’ tree climbing days. Monkey feet did not have any telltale effect on a person’s gait. They aren't that obvious but may be helpful to stability during a sudden change of speed. Further research is considering the impact shoes have had on foot anatomy too. I’m not sure whether or not I have monkey feet, but I sure do enjoy a barefoot walk on the beach and look forward to some barefoot spring and summer weather.