Bipedalism And Tool Usage

Bipedalism is the act of walking on two legs as a way to move around. It is also what scientist believe to be the earliest human characteristic that evolved. In addition, this trait was used to distinguish humans from their non ape relatives and ancestors (Funk & Wagnalls, 2014). For a long time, the reason for this evolutionary development was thought to be cause by a change in habitat, from forests to the savanna. Now, however, there is doubt that our ancestors would have left their safe homes in

We share almost 99 percent of our genetic material with chimpanzees. Yet we have several traits that are very different. Two legged walking, or bipedalism seems to be one of the earliest of the major hominine characteristics to have evolved. To

The Australopithecine are some of the earliest known hominids and they embody many characteristics that are associated with bipedalism. Bipedalism is a highly specialized and unusual form of primate locomotion that sets modern humans apart from all other living primates as we are the only extant obligate bipeds. Many evolutionary biologists and paleoanthropologists have devoted innumerable research hours to attempting to understand this unique form of locomotion and how it evolved. A number of interdependent morphological adaptations occurred over a long period of time to solve challenges posed by habitual bipedalism. As a result, there are obvious differences that exist between early and late hominin species.

Bipedalism was the first evolutionary change to define the hominid lineage. It was a major evolutionary change that changed the way we move. Bipedalism is the condition of using two feet for standing and walking. Before bipedalism emerged we were walking on all fours just as many animals do presently. Bipedal locomotion dates back to 7 million years ago with one of the candidates which is Sahelanthropus tchadensis. The other two candidates for the earliest bipedal hominid are Orrorin tugenesis, and Genus Ardipithecus. This evolutionary change brings about several benefits such as being better adapted to live on savannas, having freed hands, more efficient for travel, and better regulation of body temperature. However, similar to many evolutionary changes, Bipedalism comes with “costs” or disadvantages. These disadvantages include our loss of speed, and more stress on lower body joints including the spine.

Bipedalism is one of the big six events that happened in the evolution of humans becoming what we are today. Bipedalism means standing, walking on two feet rather than walking on four feet like the other apes our primate family tree. To understand why humans walk using bipedalism anthropologist must look into the past. One of the most significant fossil evidence of bipedalism is a fossil named “Lucy”. Lucy was found in East Africa. She is an adult female that stood at about three and a half feet. Lucy is a significant find because she was the most complete fossil. Forty percent of her body was found, making her the most complete fossil for bipedalism. It is accepted that there is a close relation to the environment for the reason to why there

Humans are very closely related to chimps and apes. Chapter 1 in The Earth and Its Peoples, talks about three traits that really separates humans from apes. First is bipedalism, which is the fancy word for being able to walk upright on both legs. Second, is that we have bigger brains. Our human brain allows us to function more sophisticatedly. The last trait is where or voice box is located. Ours is lower down in our necks. Much of evolution is also due to the Ice Age and changing temperatures (4).

The Australopithecine are some of the earliest known hominids and they embody many characteristics that are associated with bipedalism. Bipedalism is a highly specialized and unusual form of primate locomotion that sets modern humans apart from all other living primates as we are the only extant obligate bipeds. Many evolutionary biologists and paleoanthropologists have devoted innumerable research hours to attempting to understand this unique form of locomotion and how it evolved. A number of interdependent morphological adaptations occurred over a long period of time to solve challenges posed by habitual bipedalism. As a result, there are differences that exist between early and late hominin species.

In the study by Hunt, it is argued that the evolution of bipedalism was an adaptation by early hominids used in the gathering of food not only from otherwise hard to reach arboreal sources but also from “terrestrial” sources as well (Hunt 1996). The use of bipedalism in the gathering of food allowed early hominids and more modernly, though in

Approximately 4 million years ago a wonderful evolutionary phenomenon was happening in Africa. Early hominids, man’s ancestors, were beginning a giant leap in their evolution. These hominids were moving out of the forest and beginning to walk upright, out on the open plains (Fagan, 98). This change from quadrupedalism was the most significant adaptation that ever happened to these early hominids. It caused many adaptations that make man what he is today. This process occurred in early hominids for many different reasons, each reason helping to perfect the upright walking posture. Bipedalism is thought to have occurred because of changes in environment, feeding habits, thermal regulation, and

There are many theories as hypotheses that attempt to explain why the appearance of bipedal creatures known as hominins. One possible scenario that could have contributed to the emergence of bipedalism among hominins is evolutionary advantages of being taller. By standing upright and walking on two feet, one is able to see things from a new line of vision. Standing upright would change eye level and would likely allow the hominins to see things from a greater distance. This could make hunting easier, as one would be able to spot prey from farther away. Furthermore,, hominins might be able to see possible predators from farther away and respond appropriately to avoid injury. Lastly, the increase in height could possibly act on sexual selection.

In part one “ From Eden to Cajamarca,” we are introduced to the beginning of human evolution, being closely related to the ape, chimpanzee, and bonobo. However, we had separated from their lineages in approximately 4 million years as we had began to walk upright. Although even before being fully able to walk, protohumans had achieved accomplishments such as creating the first stone tools, yet they have been described as “ merely the crudest of flaked or battered stones.”( Diamond 36). Additionally, protohumans, contrary to popular belief did have morals, and beliefs, as they had buried the dead, and tended to the ill. Even so, having protohumans maintain an upright gait made it possible for protozoans to start traveling out of Africa into the

Bipeds have adapted various associated morphological qualities that understand challenges postured by frequent bipedalism. These anatomical traits developed over a huge number of years and contrasts exist amongst prior and later Australopithecus, Paranthropus, and Homo species. Australopithecine and paranthropine development speaks to an outstanding stride in the advancement of people on the grounds that these species are among the soonest hominins known to have evolved.

In chapter 3, John D. Speth discusses the role of meat and protein in hominin evolution. How and when meat was obtained is considered as well as meat’s impact on hominin development. Speth discusses when and where evolutionary factors, such as bipedalism, began and the possibility of it being where game was scarce; pointing out that meat eating came later in the evolutionary time scale. Therefore, meat eating cannot account for human’s two legs (bipedalism) but can account for the evolutionary increase in brain size. The author also discusses the hunting-scavenging debate to further question how the early hominins obtained the meat they did. Speth points out that they were likely scavengers not hunters this early in history. Speth states repeatedly

Based on comparative anatomy, fossils and genetic evidence it is suggested that the lineage between Hominins and African Apes split 6-8 million years ago in East Africa (REF). Due to inconclusive evidence there is some debate to when hominins had bipedalism as their primary mode of locomotion (ref). One of the main adaptions to bipedalism is seen in the positioning of the foramen magnum (ref). In hominins it is situated underneath the cranium, allowing upright walking, whereas it is positioned at the back of the cranium in quadrupeds (ref). The next adaptation to bipedalism involved the spine, which is crucial to our balance when walking upright. Our spine has a curve allowing us to transmit the weight of the upper body to the hips in an upright

The first of our ancestors who had a distinct evolution of bipedalism were the A. Afarensis. By studying the bones of A. Afarensis, their bone structures from neck down are very similar to modern humans today. Their body structures like the knee joints, pelvis is adapted for walking in an upright position, and the feet have a slight arch show us that they were adapting to bipedal locomotion. “Approximately 3.7 Ma, 3 A. Afarensis individuals walked through a muddy layer of volcanic ash that preserved their foot prints after the ash hardened. A. Afarensis walked with an upright posture, with a strong heel strike and follow-through to the ball of the foot, with the hallux making last contact with the ground before push-off” (Efossil). With the