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Published online 12 December 2007 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2007.374
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How women bend over backwards for baby
Extra spinal support helps women maintain balance during pregnancy without injury.
The next time you see a pregnant woman teetering under the awkward weight of her growing belly, remember this: if she were a man, it would be even worse.
Researchers have found that the vertebrae that make up a woman’s spine have evolved to give her more support, probably to help her cope during pregnancy.
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This study makes perfect sense. It also clicks a light on upstairs in my head. Why is it that women can go on shopping for hours in the mall, and their backs don't give out? I am man, and if I walk for like 30 minutes, my lower back kills me. I play sports and in generally in good health and shape, not overweight (155lb for 5'6", muscular build individual). Scientifically, does the same lower backbone structures in women support this hypothesis regarding lower back pain from walking?
No offense, but I think these "researchers" should find a more productive way to spend their time. This is a moronic quote: “I would advise all of my male colleagues not to become pregnant.� What about men with huge beer bellies? They don't tip over. Also, women ... some even pregnant ... can do triple Salchows on ice skates. What about people with peg legs?
Yes, it is true that God created men and women differently. He even created male and female animals differently. It is interesting to discover something new - something we didn't know before - such as the different shapes of the vertebrae, but it doesn't mean it hasn't always been that way. Despite the claims that we "evolved", I stand by the belief that I was created by a God who knew exactly what He was doing. Psalm 139:13 - 16 "For You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body."
This is an interesting finding. The researchers used modern mothers as well as ancient 'mothers', Australopithecus, as models to demonstrate their points. However, do the two models make sense all the way? Is it suitable for Asian or African woman? These may require further investigations. Maybe they can use some beer-belly men as control in their further research.
Renae-sounds like you worship ultrasound machines...not a bad choise I suppose, they are pretty neat after all. ;) As for men with beer bellies, I think that a distinction could be made in that they are often suffer from back pain/spinal injury, obviously due to the shameful disregard of the Great Ultrasound when he fashioned us from that miraculous sonic dust way back when.
Oh, Wesley! ;-) Are you saying God created men with beer bellies? I think they added that themselves, later, don't you? By the way, the ultrasound machine only shows us what has already been there all along. The ultrasound machine didn't create us, God did. Thanks for your response!
I thought this research study was moronic! I am currently pregnant with my 4th child and I personally have changes in my balance during pregnancy. Also, I guess all the doctors at the practice where I am seen must be stupid according to this study because they constantly urge there patients to use caution because as thier bellies grow their balance can change.
I find it interesting that an impersonal, chance process could so wisely (and seemingly personally according to the article) change the spine to accomodate for pregnancy. It is also interesting that all of the old skeletons they find have the same spine. Where are the skeletons that existed before the spine changed to accomodate pregnancy and the other skeletons whose evolutionary designs did not work out so well. Maybe there is a Designer after all.
I would like to thank the authors for this interesting paper. As an alternative hypothesis could the spinal shape in females also be linked to position of coition.
Only surprising that this specific difference hadn't been noticed years ago, considering the MANY differences between males and females because of their different biological and sociological roles. What would be interesting to see is if the evolution causes this vertebrae to enlarge in both modern man and woman due to the nearly worldwide obesity sharp increases that have been going on.
I have an important question after reading this article. I am a female in my mid-20s who had major reconstructive surgery done on my back after a car wreck and serious injury. I crushed the L-1 vertebrae and the surgeon did spinal fusion using a bone graft and the implementation of 2 - 8inch flexible metal rods. My spine seems to be curving now in the same way that a pregnant woman does at the bottom of the rods but at the top of the rods, my spine has been kicking out too far. Maybe my balance point has changed as well? What would happen if I got pregnant? Would the curvature become worse, possibly causing me to have another, more serious injury? Please pass this question on to an expert in this field and have them answer me. (By the way, I am only 5 ft tall and weigh 97 lbs). My back bothers me all the time now as it is. I have asked my doctors this question and they are clueless about it. One told me never to get pregnant and another one told me it wouldn't bother my back at all if I did. Another doctor said he had no idea about it and is in the process of transferring me to someone else.
It is amazing . I cannot believe that ,but i will adopt it .
Obviously balance will be affected during pregnancy. The article addresses only morphological differences in women's vertebrae, which allow for increased curvature of the spine without increased risk of damage to the spine during pregnancy. While overweight men may not topple over on a regular basis, they do run an increased risk of damaging their spines. Additionally, it is evident that some people commenting on this article have a very flimsy understanding of evolution: Our spines are not going to "evolve" because we are overweight. If a substantial portion of the population becomes so overweight that their spines snap before they have an opportunity to breed, then it is possible that there could eventually be an increase in the frequency of "heavy-duty" spinal columns; however, I hope for the future of our species that this is not the case.
“I would advise all of my male colleagues not to become pregnant.� Karen Steudel Cool joke
Interesting as it is, but the survival mechanism of a creature would be more comprehensive than just the shapes of the vertebrae. It would be vary with different racies in different places and would be integrate with other alterations not only morphological changes in pregnancy, but may also the changes in internal hormones. The configurational alterations in Australopithecus's verebrae might not be full support for survival.