The Roots of Upright Walking

Scientists determine that the need to carry babies wasn't a driving factor as early humans started walking tall

By Gregory Mone Posted 04.24.2008 at 8:13 am 8 Comments

Upright Walking University of Manchester

Scientists have long been trying to figure out why early humans became bipedal, and one popular explanation has now been crossed off the list of possibilities. There was a popular notion that we started walking upright to free up our arms so we could carry objects, and babies—apes don't need to worry about this because their offspring can cling to them using their hands and feet. It's like a built-in Baby Bjorn.

But now University of Manchester researchers say the baby-carrying theory doesn't hold, mainly because supporting an infant on your hip or in your arms is too tiring to have been a legitimate factor in the transition to bipedalism. There is evidence that the move was generally motivated by energy efficiency—walking on two legs burns fewer calories than trudging along on your knuckles and feet—but the exact causes are still up for debate. "Scientists have long hypothesized as to the reasons why hominins became bipedal in a relatively short space of time but the truth is we still don't know for sure," says the University of Manchester's Jo Watson.

Via Science Daily

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8 Comments

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some_random_dude

05/12/08 at 7:29 pm

I would personally gues that there would be a natural side product of bipedalism. Compared to walking on all 4, this would make you seem bigger to any preditors among all the other benifits such as being able to run backwards while throwing projectiles(rocks and eventually spears, etc)

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mac11

07/28/08 at 11:07 pm

منتديات -
صور -
برامج كمبيوتر -
العاب كمبيوتر -
مسجات
رسائل

thank u

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mac11

07/28/08 at 11:07 pm

توبيكات ملونة -
اكلات -
اناشيد -
اناشيد اطفال -
صور انمي -
شعر

..,kjj

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mac11

07/28/08 at 11:07 pm

قصص -
مدونة
مسجات جوال
تسريحات -
فساتين سهرة -
ديكور

thanx gghjt

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mac11

07/28/08 at 11:10 pm

صور ماسنجر -
العاب -
محولات -
رموز ماسنجر
برامج نوكيا
برامج جوال

thanx ..,lll;

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mac11

07/28/08 at 11:11 pm

برامج ماسنجر
روايات
مكياج
e pro
صور سيارات
رجيم

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mac11

07/28/08 at 11:13 pm

المطبخ
-طيور الجنة

-الاقتصادي اليمني

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Mr.Sanchez

12/21/08 at 1:12 am

considering that evolution is true, then that would imply that we all came from the same first ancestor. Plant life and animal life must also have a link to one another. plants grow upwards to the light source, "The sun?" It is possible that we became bipedal due to this simplest characteristic in our DNA. Why would our ancestors aim for The Sun? warmth, sight, growth into a common goal that connects all kins into one common organism i sometimes refer to life?

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