Tag

Bipedalism

All articles tagged with #bipedalism

science5 days ago

7 Million-Year-Old Fossil Sheds Light on the Origins of Bipedal Walking

A 7-million-year-old fossil of Sahelanthropus tchadensis provides strong evidence that early human ancestors could walk upright, suggesting that bipedalism evolved much earlier than previously thought. The discovery was made through detailed analysis of skeletal features, including a femoral tubercle and limb proportions, indicating that this species was adapted for upright walking despite its small brain and tree-dwelling habits.

science2 months ago

Ancient Fossil Rewrites Human Hand and Foot Evolution

Fossils of Paranthropus boisei from Kenya, dating 1.52 million years ago, reveal that this species had dexterous hands capable of gripping and possibly using tools, and feet adapted for upright walking, challenging previous notions of its capabilities and coexisting with early Homo species, thus reshaping our understanding of human evolutionary development.

science4 months ago

Key Genetic and Developmental Changes Behind Human Bipedalism

The article explores the developmental genetic changes that led to the evolution of hominin bipedalism, focusing on two key innovations: a shift in iliac cartilage growth plate orientation and a delayed, altered pattern of iliac ossification. These changes facilitated the unique shape and function of the human pelvis, supporting upright walking, and are driven by polygenic regulatory modifications involving genes like SOX9, PTH1R, and RUNX2, with evidence of human-specific evolutionary signals in these regions.