THE PACK Message Boards

ShadowFang wrote:

Vuldari wrote:Heh, I tried that when I was younger. Made me almost fall forward on my face.

I try that when I'm jogging sometimes. I certainly adds some nice "spring" to my step, and I think it actually does help me run faster when I sprint. However, the muscles in my feet and legs are not strong enough to let me keep that up for long. The arch of my foot burns after only a short while.
Can't say I ever fell over though. I can keep my balance quite well like that , actually.

Well, with enough practice and more excersize on that certain muscle (have no idea on the name) you ought to be able to do it more often. I wonder if somewhere there is a person who walks pure digitigrade because of this. Be interesting to meet someone like that.

Actually, I do this almost all the time. When I was I think 6 or 7 I saw a show about wolves explaining how their digitigrade stance gave them greater speed so I started walking that way. Still do unless the shoes I'm wearing don't allow it.

Figarou wrote:

ShadowFang wrote: Well, with enough practice and more excersize on that certain muscle (have no idea on the name) you ought to be able to do it more often. I wonder if somewhere there is a person who walks pure digitigrade because of this. Be interesting to meet someone like that.

heh, if everyone started doing this, we would evolve our own digitigrade legs. May take a few hundred years. But if we start now, the sooner we'll get them!!!

I know you know this already, but I can't resist pointing it out for anyone who may not- that isn't true. One of the first theories of evolution was just that- that a creature evolves because of what happens in it's life. Example: there is a small goat-like animal that is always stretching its neck up to reach new leaves on the trees to eat. Therefore its offspring have longer necks. Of course this activity does not have any effect on the animal's genetic makeup so obviously this doesn't work. In reality it was because the animals that had longer necks to begin with were more likely to survive long enough to reproduce. So for humans to become digitigrade over time it must be useful in some way to keep us alive, or it would have to be darn sexy so that people whose feet are better suited to this stance have a better chance of getting some action. ;)

</pointlessmonologue>

It's called natural selection. The ones with the longer necks lived and the others didn't, which means the long neck gene had been able to pass down to the next generation. Which is truly one thing about our ecosystem, the animals are always changing, they keep getting better and better, so the system is not always going to be the same. Alot of subspecies may even become seperate species. That is afcource if the human population doesn't over run the wildlife, inwhich it takes a long time for evolution to really change something.

I must like pointlessly pointing things out that everyone should know here.

Reilune wrote: I can't help but wonder though, could you actually train yourself to walk on four limbs as a human? I dream about that sometimes, it feels like the most natural thing. I know human legs are too long, and human arms to short, to do that without taking a good long while to adjust. I'll keep trying though. I have a feeling I'll get it right eventually. And yes I have too much time on my paws.

Well, I know people that were raised by animals and then captured by humans and trained to walk upright have a relatively easy time walking in either method. But then again, their arms are probably longer than the average person's.

If I could go back in time, I would spend a lot more time running on all fours as a kid, and climbing trees, and holding my breath underwater, etc. When you do something a lot when you're body is still developing, your body is better adapted to it when you get older.

what

PariahPoet wrote:

Figarou wrote:

ShadowFang wrote: Well, with enough practice and more excersize on that certain muscle (have no idea on the name) you ought to be able to do it more often. I wonder if somewhere there is a person who walks pure digitigrade because of this. Be interesting to meet someone like that.

heh, if everyone started doing this, we would evolve our own digitigrade legs. May take a few hundred years. But if we start now, the sooner we'll get them!!!

I know you know this already, but I can't resist pointing it out for anyone who may not- that isn't true. One of the first theories of evolution was just that- that a creature evolves because of what happens in it's life. Example: there is a small goat-like animal that is always stretching its neck up to reach new leaves on the trees to eat. Therefore its offspring have longer necks. Of course this activity does not have any effect on the animal's genetic makeup so obviously this doesn't work. In reality it was because the animals that had longer necks to begin with were more likely to survive long enough to reproduce. So for humans to become digitigrade over time it must be useful in some way to keep us alive, or it would have to be darn sexy so that people whose feet are better suited to this stance have a better chance of getting some action. ;)

</pointlessmonologue>

This is actually Lamarck's theory of evolution, in that, one can acquire a trait, whether a stretched, strained neck, or a blacksmith's mighty forearms, and then pass them down to one's descendants.
It's been repeatedly disproved, however.
One example of why it doesn't work is that if one can acquire a particular desirable trait, then why do Jewish baby boys still have to undergo circumcision?

Excelsia wrote:

Reilune wrote: I can't help but wonder though, could you actually train yourself to walk on four limbs as a human? I dream about that sometimes, it feels like the most natural thing. I know human legs are too long, and human arms to short, to do that without taking a good long while to adjust. I'll keep trying though. I have a feeling I'll get it right eventually. And yes I have too much time on my paws.

Well, I know people that were raised by animals and then captured by humans and trained to walk upright have a relatively easy time walking in either method. But then again, their arms are probably longer than the average person's.

If I could go back in time, I would spend a lot more time running on all fours as a kid, and climbing trees, and holding my breath underwater, etc. When you do something a lot when you're body is still developing, your body is better adapted to it when you get older.

When I said "Well, I know people that were raised by animals..." I didn't mean that I know people who were raised by animals. I mean that I possess the knowledge that people who were raised by animals....you get it. Just wanted to clarify in case anyone read that and didn't quite get it.

Of course it should be a full digitigrade stance, but in the human for it seems unnatural for said werewolf to be reverting to plantigrade. The person should be slightly, yet unnoticably, walking in a digitigrade stance.

Personally, I would imagine it to be like switching between different languages. After you spend enough time getting used to them, none of them seem unnatural any longer (after an initial moment or two), merely different.

-- Vilkacis

I just thought of something...A werewolf with a plantigrade stance would look something like a bear...they have very human-like legs and feet...XD

I walk on my toes alot...almost all the time at home. one good thing about having low arches, it dosnt hurt if I do it for a long time...standing with my feet flat for a long time hurts... X.x

I've also trained myself to move around much like an ape does...on all fours, though, its rough on the knees...owwie!

Lasthowl wrote:I cannot really reconcile ditigrade feet with an upright posture. It just wouldn't work for balance unless you had a huge tail.

Partly ditigrade would work better, and looks pleasant enough.

if the werewolf's foot is a full ditigrade, it wouldnt stand staight up it would hunch over(which makes the werewolf look more bestial, or scary, tho i think a half man half wolf might scare people whether it is hunched over or not)

"its spelled Digitigrade."

That took long enough for someone to point out LOL!

"Another advantage of digigrade feet is that the werewolf is more swift on its feet, try standing on your toes and running amazinly it works and you run faster =P =D"

Try standing flat on your feet and running amazinly it sucks and you fall over : P

Much of the time, humans are on their toes, bipedally digitigrade. In some sports, tennis and basketball for ex., you're always standing on your toes.

If my notes are correct, digitigrade is the norm for most animals. As for knees popping backwards during transformation, it'd be more anatomically accurate for the foot to elongate and the ankle and heel to be lifted off the ground.

I voted half.

Vuldari wrote:

Figarou wrote:

Drake Arrokh wrote:I said full digitigrade because it's seems more practicle, and wolf-like.
Plus like Silverfang said:

Another advantage of digigrade feet is that the werewolf is more swift on its feet, try standing on your toes and running amazinly it works and you run faster =P =D

I do this all the time and it feels great as long as your muscles hold out. Now that said, it's true that it can be hard on both the actors and the budget but if done well it'll add so much more to the movie Well that's my 2-cents

Heh, I tried that when I was younger. Made me almost fall forward on my face.

I guess during evolution, animals found it quicker to run away from enemies by running on the toes. The predator caught on and did the same.

I try that when I'm jogging sometimes. I certainly adds some nice "spring" to my step, and I think it actually does help me run faster when I sprint. However, the muscles in my feet and legs are not strong enough to let me keep that up for long. The arch of my foot burns after only a short while.
Can't say I ever fell over though. I can keep my balance quite well like that , actually.

Just a friendly coation: Walking on your toes for a long time can be 'dangerous'. Or, painfull. Mainly because the muscles in our feet turn smaller because you walk on your toes all the time, and the heel-part of your feet becomes non-used. In other words, if you do that too long, you might not be able to walk 'normal' again.

Morkulv wrote:

Vuldari wrote:

Figarou wrote:

Drake Arrokh wrote:I said full digitigrade because it's seems more practicle, and wolf-like.
Plus like Silverfang said:

Another advantage of digigrade feet is that the werewolf is more swift on its feet, try standing on your toes and running amazinly it works and you run faster =P =D

I do this all the time and it feels great as long as your muscles hold out. Now that said, it's true that it can be hard on both the actors and the budget but if done well it'll add so much more to the movie Well that's my 2-cents

Heh, I tried that when I was younger. Made me almost fall forward on my face.

I guess during evolution, animals found it quicker to run away from enemies by running on the toes. The predator caught on and did the same.

I try that when I'm jogging sometimes. I certainly adds some nice "spring" to my step, and I think it actually does help me run faster when I sprint. However, the muscles in my feet and legs are not strong enough to let me keep that up for long. The arch of my foot burns after only a short while.
Can't say I ever fell over though. I can keep my balance quite well like that , actually.

Just a friendly coation: Walking on your toes for a long time can be 'dangerous'. Or, painfull. Mainly because the muscles in our feet turn smaller because you walk on your toes all the time, and the heel-part of your feet becomes non-used. In other words, if you do that too long, you might not be able to walk 'normal' again.

Uhh...I don't do it THAT much. It's not like I never put my heel down so long as I can help it.

However, if you pay very close attention to yourself when you jog or run, your heel naturally does not touch the ground much, so long as you keep the pace up.

To do the kind of damage you are talking about, you would have to spend more time standing still, on your toes, than not. I doubt anyone is really in danger from this.

I have always seen werewolves as toewalkers - digitgrade..

But they can go plantigrade if necessary i.e.

When on toes - because you are inherantly off balance you are faster and more agile.

But if you need stability to pick up a large or heavy object then you can rest on your ankles and straighten the knees.

But you pop back to digitigrade as soon as you pit the weight down again.

Just my views

Marcwolf

Fact is, Digitigrade is not hard to balance in...Been there done that. If you do what Morkulv's brother did, your Achilles Tendons will shorten, and you will be digitigrade...with no real balance problems. Females do it all the time with High Heels...wear them too much, and you're stuck! My G'mthr had that problem, and we even had to get H-Heeled slippers for her. So, Humans can adapt.
Shoes are a problem, though. And, expect to develop a size "E" foot, as the bones spread to accomodate. Your children will think you are wierd, standing on their flat little feet.
Were's would have Digitigrade feet for one reason: They are still designed to run after prey, and as pointed out above...when you're running, you're digitigrade 100%. It's faster.

I have often walked digitgrade and I know about the wide foot issue.

I can also move my small toes so I tend to rip though shoes etc in pretty short time.

Take Care

marcwolf

Half digigrade isn't that bad I think.

Morkulv wrote:Half digigrade isn't that bad I think.

There are more letters in that word...

D I G I T I G R A D E .

(Almost EVERYONE spells it wrong. ...just FYI...)


...what exactly would "Half Digitigrade" be anyway? ...heels only slightly raised?...

Vuldari wrote:

Morkulv wrote:Half digigrade isn't that bad I think.

There are more letters in that word...

D I G I T I G R A D E .

(Almost EVERYONE spells it wrong. ...just FYI...)


...what exactly would "Half Digitigrade" be anyway? ...heels only slightly raised?...

It's either like the way that some inbred German Shepherds walk, with their heels close to, but not touching, the ground, or it's the way an animal walks in stilleto pumps.

Well, you can never go wrong with feet like these.







I know they don't mind standing on their toes.

Vuldari wrote:

Morkulv wrote:Half digigrade isn't that bad I think.

There are more letters in that word...

D I G I T I G R A D E .

(Almost EVERYONE spells it wrong. ...just FYI...)


...what exactly would "Half Digitigrade" be anyway? ...heels only slightly raised?...

Aaargh!! Damned, I knew it...

I think just walking on your toes would be considered half digitigrade.

You say just walking on your toes would be half digitigrade....what would you call half walking on someone else's toes? Half-Paintigrade?
Seriously though, (which I rarely ever am) Digitigrade is walking on the front-half of your foot-assembly; Toes, "ball of foot"...only. Everything from the "Arch" back is elevated, and the heel becomes what it always should have been, a lever to move the contact area of the foot swiftly.
If you look at the bony design of the foot, you'll see that the Heel and tarsal bones were never really meant for ground contact...we've been doing it wrong forever (what else is new?) Design wise, we should be a digitigrade species. But if we were, then the poor Werewolves would have to walk flat footed to be different.
I say, whatever gets you to the Coffee Pot is right!