"Pete"  wrote in message
>
> I've noticed this effect as well, usually when running/walking over an
> obstacle. You can instinctively get your feet into the correct stride a
> few steps before. But I've always attributed this to learned behaviour
> and experience rather than some evolutionary trait.
>
The two aren't incompatible. There would be a selective pressure for humans
who could place their feet around obstacles without breaking stride. It
would probably be quite a large pressure as running speed is critical in
catching prey and in evading danger.
However evolution doesn't care how this is achieved, either by some
specialised section of the brain or as general-purpose learning.
One thing you are asking is, given two populations, one which lives in the
African forest and does a lot of running around unmade tracks, and another
which lives in a Western city and is hardly ever exposed to a non-metalled
surface, how much better would the Africans be at an obstacle dodging test?
Another thing you are asking, which is much harder to answer, is, are the
same processes used in learning to dodge obstacles with your feet as, say,
to control the clutch of a car, or are the two tasks learnt differently in
some way?
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