Do you think humans might evolve wheels?
2007-01-13 08:46:22 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
How would blood vessels, nerves etc get to the wheel across the bearing? They would be twisted and broken in no time.
There is one example of a freely rotating axle that has evolved and that is the flagellar motor of some bacteria. This works at the molecular level but would not work in larger creatures.
2007-01-13 10:31:47 · answer #1 · answered by tentofield 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Wheels involve an axle and some kind of "motor" that will turn the axle. In order for any animal to evolve wheels, it would have to develop some kind of structure to support an axle, as well as the necessary structures for wheels. Then, on top of that, the creatures would have to develop some kind of muscle structure that would turn the axle.
Therefore, it is very unlikely that any animals will ever evolve wheels.
2007-01-13 16:56:13 · answer #2 · answered by jeremie613 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No because humans and all other life forms evolve from previous life forms. Everything is based on the structure of ancestors. This is why we still have remnants of segmentation (vertebrae) and all variety of vertebrate limbs have corresponding bones (bird wings, whale flukes, and frog flippers.)
Some adaptations arise from a different use of an existing feature. There are lots of examples of this. If wheels were to evolve they would have to come from something currently available in the human genome.
2007-01-13 17:48:55 · answer #3 · answered by bill h 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There was a serious paper written about this very subject (I think the title might have been something like mice with retractable roller skates). I could not find it with a quick Google search. The paper came out circa 1985.
The authors premise was that, while wheels make sense if you have smooth surfaces (such as roads), legs are for more efficient if you have to climb over things and travel over uneven surfaces.
2007-01-13 16:56:39 · answer #4 · answered by Jeffrey C 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What you say may be true, but wheels take much more beating than legs do, not to mention that we would have to develop skin as hard and flexible as rubber. Also, the reason we first developed legs were to climb in order to avoid predators, not to walk. Under the present situation, we MAY develop wheels sometime in the wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy future....
2007-01-13 16:52:18 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A wheel requires constant motion in a single direction which flesh and bone would not be able to replicate. The best we can do is movement in limited distances.
2007-01-13 16:50:59 · answer #6 · answered by Meridianhawk42 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you really believe that? Have you ever tried to 4-wheel drive over a mountain with lot of boulders - no way.
Legs are much more practical.
2007-01-13 16:50:55 · answer #7 · answered by Dr Dave P 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Wheels are an engineering feat
not a biological feat. (feet HAHAHA)
.
2007-01-13 18:16:13 · answer #8 · answered by Icteridae 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
We already have. They're called Heely Shoes.
2007-01-13 16:54:01 · answer #9 · answered by Enjoying Life 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They already have..... and you don't want to know where the air nozzle is either.
2007-01-13 21:17:37 · answer #10 · answered by westfield47130 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋