One big advantage is that we can run while breathing out of sync with our steps. Four legged running pretty much requires each inhale and exhale to sync with the compression and expansion of the torso with each stride. Humans, on the other hand, can run full speed while taking multiple steps per breath, depending on terrain and fatigue, which gives more options for pacing.
the shift to an aerobic, hunter-gatherer lifestyle in early Homo, including long-distance running, exerted selection pressures that favored both increased endurance and enhanced brain growth
Edit: … so, we’re not batteries. We’re cooling fins.
One big advantage is that we can run while breathing out of sync with our steps. Four legged running pretty much requires each inhale and exhale to sync with the compression and expansion of the torso with each stride. Humans, on the other hand, can run full speed while taking multiple steps per breath, depending on terrain and fatigue, which gives more options for pacing.
Interesting, that dynamic is in line with the ‘radiator’ theory of human brain evolution.
From a more recent article:
Edit: … so, we’re not batteries. We’re cooling fins.