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The factors leading to the emergence of bipedalism
The factors leading to the emergence of bipedalism
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The birth of a baby is a miracle to the world; a baby crawling by itself is a huge achievement; a baby taking its very first steps is a historical moment for human evolution. A human is able to endure many changes, socially and environmentally, tailoring its skills and abilities along the way. The most remarkable adaptation for humans is the ability to walk upright on two feet, rather than crawling on all fours. When a baby is able to master the mechanics of bipedalism, it is a significant moment in that child’s life. This very moment dates back millions of years ago when bipedalism began to emerge in early hominids. It is unclear when it first originated, although fossil records lead us to believe that it began five to ten million years ago. Like the formation of the Earth, there are many controversial theories regarding bipedalism. One commonality in these existing theories concludes that bipedalism has become one of the most significant traits that distinguish humans from non-human primates and other animals. Examining the general phenomenon of bipedalism and the location of its first occurrences contributes to the discussion detailing why bipedalism is a significant moment in human evolution, making a clear distinction between human and primate.
Bipedalism’s origination is hardly accurate, but having fossil evidence and making connections in the environment in which they were discovered can improve the accuracy for when and where it originated. “Our early ancestors and some of their primate contemporaries thus encountered a variety of environments--the forest/open-space ecotone…as well as changes through time--and so underwent selection for the ability to deal with a mixed environment of increasing variability” (Park, 210). Th...
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...e twice the weight of the flexors.” (Du Brul, 207). Du Brul is saying that humans possess all of their upper body weight resting on the extensors of our postcranial construction. Additionally, a humans body has certain proportions to balance on our two legs. Humans’ legs are longer than our arms, whereas quadrupeds possess longer arms than legs. Because the arrangement of a humans body structure varies from a primate, humans are set to fit the locomotives of bipedalism. Consequently, “humans have a bipedal vertebrae.” (Du Brul, 205). In addition, Lewin describes a “debate centered around the anatomy of the pelvis and the form of the hands and feet and the amount of our weight that the joints have to carry on two limbs instead of four” (Lewin, 1433). Du Burl and Lewin alike, both have the same theoretical approach to bipedalism and its correlation to the human body.
Allen, John S., and Susan C. Anton. "Chapter 13 The Emergence, Dispersal, and Bioarchaeology of H. sapiens." Pearson Custom Anthropology. By Craig Stanford. Boston: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2013. 200+. Print.
In the book, Your Inner Fish, by Neil Shubin he presents the notion of evolution and how we can trace parts that make up the human body back to jellyfish, worms, and even fish. The book not only discusses how we arose to be what we are today, but also the implications our ancestors had on our current body plan. In this essay, I will demonstrate that I have digested the entirety of Shubin’s book by convincing you (dear reader) that everything in our bodies is based on simple changes to already existing systems. To make this case, I will use the evidence of limb development in a vast array of organisms, the four arches found in the embryological stage of development, the structures inside our noses, and how our ears have come about all due to modifications.
I chose to study the behaviors of the Spider monkey and the Sifaka. I chose them for a few reasons, one being that Spider monkeys are incredibly adorable and two Sifaka’s remind me of a childhood television show, Zoboomafoo. These two primate groups also struck my attention in class, so this project was a perfect opportunity to dig a little deeper. The behaviors I chose to observe were social interactions and locomotion. The biggest differences I noticed between the two primates were that the Spider monkeys have the prehensile tails and without exerting extra energy is able to engage in a few common locomotion patterns such as quadrupedal, suspensory and bipedalisim. Where as Sifaka’s lack a tail, and remain upright at all times, and the only way they don’t waste energy moving around is to jump through the trees. They both hangout in troops, eat similar things and mainly live up high in the trees-- but Spider monkeys care for their own young for up to a year while the Sifaka’s usually engage in non-maternal infant care.
The evolution of man is constantly in question. While we are reasonably sure that modern humans and primates are both related to the same common ancestor, there is constant debate over what initially caused the two species to split into early hominids and apes. According to some, our longest and most popular theory on the division of man and ape is profoundly wrong. However, those same individuals usually offer an equally controversial theory as a substitute, one that is almost impossible to scientifically test or prove. Both the Savanna Theory and the Aquatic Ape Theory offer solutions to how and why humans evolved into bipedal toolmakers. But with enough questioning, each loses its accountability to rhetorical science.
After millions of years that humans separated from their relative primate how is that humans became bipedal. So many changes have happened to the human body to decide to stay on the ground and abandoned their lives in the trees. Primates evolved different body structures according to their lifestyle and the ecosystem in which they lived. As Charles Darwin natural selection stays; it could be as a result of new environments, the need for food and shelter, which forced humans to adapt and survive. Although, most of primates’ anatomy reflects habits of movement, it could be easy to see the external differences but there are many differences that have been intensely studied and researched.
Kinesiology can be defined as the study of mechanics of body movements, so I think that is very important to know the meaning of movement when studying kinesiology. Everything in kinesiology has to do with the movement. Every action the body takes is a movement which is what kinesiology is. You cannot be successful in the field of kinesiology no matter what you are doing if you do not understand what movement is. It is the study of human movement, performance, and function by applying the sciences of biomechanics, anatomy, physiology, and neuroscience. It looks at movement and which muscles are involved to create movement relating to strength exercising and sports technique. Movement is an act of changing physical location or position or of
Storr (1989, 108) argues that today there is no evidence from anthropology or from studies of subhuman primates that ...
Australopithecus afarensis existed between 3.9 and 3.0 million years ago. The distinctive characteristics of A. afarensis were: a low forehead, a bony ridge over the eyes, a flat nose, no chin, more humanlike teeth, pelvis and leg bones resembled those of modern man. Females were smaller than males. Their sexual dimorphism was males:females; 1.5. A. afarensis was not as sexually dimorphic as gorillas, but more sexually dimorphic than humans or chimpanzees. A lot of scientists think that Australopithecus afarensis was partially adapted to climbing the trees, because the fingers and toe bones of the species were curved and longer than the ones of the modern human.
Bipedalism is a form of locomotion that is on two feet and is the one factor that separates humans from other forms of hominoids. The first bipeds are believed to have lived in Africa between 5 and 8 million years ago. (Haviland et al. 2011, pg. 78). The evolution to bipedalism resulted in various anatomical changes. To be able to balance on two legs, the skull must be centered over the spinal column. As bipeds evolved, the foramen magnum, the opening at the base of skull for the spinal column, moved from the back of the skull to the center. The spinal column also evolved from a continuous curve to a spine with four concave and convex curves. (Haviland et al. 2011, pgs. 79, 80). Another change was the widening of the pelvis which gives a wider plateau for more balance when walking on two legs.
Bipedalism (our ability to walk on two legs), the uncommon size of our brains, symbolic language, and the ability to farm/hunt is what makes us different from the past era. (Christian 6-7) Pages 1-22 begins the era of foragers, also known as the “Paleolithic era” where they use stick and stone tools to survive across different climates around the globe. The era of foragers is the longest (250,000 years) and the hardest era to integrate evidence because of the time gap. Christian stated, “Historians have had a hard time integrating the era of foragers into their accounts of the past because most historians lack the research skills needed to study an area that generated no written evidence (2).
Bipedalism is anatomically important because it now demonstrates to us modern day humans the cycle of how we came to be. This skill was vital to human evolution because it differentiates early hominins from apes. By being able to walk further distances, they brought them to a diverse new diet that enabled their brains to get bigger. Bipedal animals usually walk greater distances because less energy is needed with their longer strides. The stone stools show evidence of abstract thinking and it shows the early hominins adapting and using their environment to survive, which is a skill that we as modern humans have surpassed.
The following essay examines the evolutionary approaches of anthropologists and neo-evolutionists Leslie White and Julian Steward. Although, Leslie White and Julian Steward debated against each other over their respected evolutionary approaches, both approaches do share several similarities amongst each other, even though both anthropologists disregarded any relationship between the two.
The members of the Homo genus possess a combination of unique features that distinguish them from other related species. At the time that each respective species was alive, they were able to walk upright on two legs, use their large brains for the benefit of their species, and could thrive in many geographically and climatically diverse areas of the world. One of the most mysterious quandaries in science is how the lineage of the Homo genus became so different from their primate relatives. Bipedalism, brain size, and location diversity all have a common link that may explain this difference – dietary evolution allowed humans to adapt to their surroundings, and in turn, become a more advanced species. The Homo diet evolved in relation to food availability and nutritional necessity. With the ability to maintain a proper diet, the species of the Homo genus were able to flourish and advance toward the development of modern Homo sapiens.
he TriFit system was designed by Polar, the technological innovators in heart rate monitors since 1977. Polar, which was once known as Healthfirst, swtiched its name to Polar in the 1990's which is when it developed the firt model of the Trifit software. The first EKG accurate wireless heart rate monitor was invented by Polar back in 1977 as a training tool for the Finnish National Cross Country Ski Team. The concept of "intensity training" by heart rate swept the athletic world in the eighties. By the 1990's individuals were looking to heart rate monitors not only for performance training needs, but also for achieving everyday fitness goals. Today, the same concept of heart rate training is being used by world-class athletes as well as everyday people trying to lose weight.
Dramatic changes occur in motor skills from birth through the first two years. At birth infants are capable of extensive uncoordinated movements. One feature of the early motor behavior of infants is the large number of reflex-like actions. These actions appear for a short time after birth and then disappear. For example, when the palm of the hand is stroked lightly the fingers involuntarily close, forming a fist; this is called the palmar reflex. From these early movements, distinct sequential patterns of motor development occur. Walking, which occurs on the average between 13 and 15 months, emerges from a sequence of 14 earlier stages. Research shows that the rate of acquisition of motor skills is innately determined and that the acquisition of these skills is not influenced by practice. Severe restri...