What are human bodies adapted for? Why does the evolutionary past matter when we think about our bodies? What were some environmental changes which may have favored the development of bipedalism in our ancestors? In what ways is the skeleton of a biped different from that of a quadruped? How did the "fruit crisis" in Africa 5-7 million years ago change selection for a different type of dentition in our ancestors?
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This adaptation allows for efficient long-distance travel, freeing up the hands for carrying objects and tools. Show more…
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In some cases, our bipedal adaptations have changed areas of our bodies so much that it is difficult (if not impossible) for these areas to perform other functions. For example, our pelvis provides the areas of muscle attachment that we need, but its unusual shape makes human childbirth more difficult. The foot is another area that reflects the impact of bipedal specialization. What foot traits and corresponding functions seen in other primates has been lost in our feet, why would we have lost helpful features such as this?
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Physical anthropologists often describe bipedalism as an adaptive trade-off: a characteristic with both benefits and costs associated with its evolution. Give two examples of the evolutionary benefits bipedalism provided to our early hominin ancestors. Also, give two examples of the evolutionary costs of bipedalism that are still encountered by humans today.
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How did archaic Homo sapiens differ from anatomically modern humans?
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