Projects
HUMAN LOCOMOTOR VERSATILITY
University of Cambridge (2021 - Present)
The evolution of a two-legged, upright body plan in the human species is traditionally assumed to come at the expense of other forms of locomotion: climbing, diving and swimming. My research examines locomotor versatility and performance through a variety of research methodologies, drawing on lines of evidence from both hunter-gatherer societies and elite athletes. My results challenge the prevailing assumption that the evolution of a specialised bipedal morphology necessitated an attenuation of non-bipedal proficiency and relevance. These results have implications for fossil hominin behavioural reconstruction and human evolutionary debates, and suggest that, despite the evolution of a specialised upright bipedal skeleton, our species has developed an adaptive plasticity for diverse and high proficiency locomotor generalism.
2023-2026
Morphological synergy between bipedal and climbing performance in athletes
Based on a suite of anthropometric data collected from over 300 rock climbing, running, sprinting and race walking athletes across the UK and Ireland, I identified a tendency for morphological synergy, rather than expected trade-off, in the manner in which body proportions affect bipedal and climbing performance, questioning traditional assumptions of human locomotor evolution.
2022-2025
Global versatility and evolutionary fitness of hunter-gatherer locomotion
Employing cross-comparative methods across more than 900 ethnographic accounts of a global sample of hunter-gatherer societies, I demonstrated the consistency of human locomotor versatility across all global ecologies, genders and a range of functional domains, with each running, climbing, diving and swimming entailing significant evolutionary fitness implications.
PUBLICATIONS
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Brill G, Dyble M. The fitness costs and benefits of hunter-gatherer locomotor engagement. Evolutionary Human Sciences. 2025. [Read →]
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Brill G, Mirazón Lahr M, Dyble M. Extensive locomotor versatility across a global sample of hunter–gatherer societies. Proceeding of the Royal Society B. 2024. [Read →]
GRANTS & FUNDING
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Vice Chancellor's Scholarship (King's College, Cambridge & The Cambridge Trust)
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Emslie Hornimann Scholarship for Anthropological Fieldwork (The Royal Anthropological Institute)
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Evans Fund Fellowship (Department of Social Anthropology, University of Cambridge)
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Smut's Memorial Fund (University of Cambridge)
RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS
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Swansea Lab for Animal Movement (Swansea University)
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Human Evolutionary Eco-Physiology Group (Loughborough University)
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England Athletics
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Lattice Coaching and Training