Why did our ancestors start walking upright?

[+DieChecker]

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/0524/Why-did-our-ancestors-start-walking-upright-Ancient-terrain-may-hold-clue

Now a new study suggests that walking on two legs was a result of geology, not climate. In a study published in this month's issue of the archaeological journal Antiquity, a team of archaeologists makes the case that our forebears' transition to bipedalism was prompted by volcanoes and shifting tectonic plates in East and South Africa, which produced rocky outcroppings and steep gorges.

Interesting Theory.

“The broken, disrupted terrain offered benefits for hominins in terms of security and food, but it also proved a motivation to improve their locomotor skills by climbing, balancing, scrambling and moving swiftly over broken ground - types of movement encouraging a more upright gait,” said University of York archaeologist and study co-author Isabelle Winder, in a press release.

[Wickian]

I've always assumed we started walking upright because just plain more convenient. It leaves our dextrous hands free, gives us a better vantage and gives better reach.

[Frank Merton]

I've always assumed we started walking upright because just plain more convenient. It leaves our dextrous hands free, gives us a better vantage and gives better reach.

The problem with this is that it would raise the question why more animals don't walk upright.

I think what happened first is we lived in trees, and thereby lost much of the sense of smell that is better if you are close to the ground, plus acquired color stereoscopic vision, which is better for tree living, as well as dextrous hands. These things, all evolved for tree living, pre-adapted us to a world where the trees were gone and we no longer had the option of living on all fours.

[Rlyeh]

[Wickian]

The problem with this is that it would raise the question why more animals don't walk upright.

I think what happened first is we lived in trees, and thereby lost much of the sense of smell that is better if you are close to the ground, plus acquired color stereoscopic vision, which is better for tree living, as well as dextrous hands. These things, all evolved for tree living, pre-adapted us to a world where the trees were gone and we no longer had the option of living on all fours.

Some apes and other animals will stand upright on two legs for short periods of time. Bipedal walking is just a quirk we humans have that probably started out a random habit between one small group and, being intelligent animals as we are(and probably were at that stage), others saw the advantages of this and copied it.

I read a story a few years ago about a man who would drop off food onto a sandy beach for a group of apes every day at the same time. Eventually after a period of time(I can't remember how long) one of them figured out to wash the food in the river first before eating it to get rid of sand. The very next day every single member of that group started washing their food.

When it comes to intelligent animals, all it takes is one individual to start a beneficial habit.

[GirlfromOz]

The scientists that want to prove evolution,want to prove that man evolved from the apes.Let me inform you that those very scientists do not have a clue!Man did not evolve from the apes.Man was a separate entity in this world.We all supposedly evolved from our own beings.God created us in his own image.If you want to argue about this,I have had many argumentative theorists that can NOT prove that man evolved from apes.If Man evolved from the apes,then,why are there still man & apes?None of us has has evolved & separated from the very beings that we are theorised to have come from.So my friend,where did the scientists go wrong? Obviously they did not see this coming!

[highdesert50]

Evolution favors the survivor. Standing erect allowed humans the opportunity to see danger from afar. Remaining erect while moving allowed for improved foraging opportunities and nomadic movement while continually monitoring for danger. Because danger could be seen from afar speed was not as critical as endurance. Greater endurance allowed for more opportunity while foraging and greater exposure to a wider range of environments encouraging even more adaptability and fostering greater mental reasoning to deal with the diversity of exposure.

[sergeantflynn]

most probably fed-up with scraped knees .

[Frank Merton]

Actually I would not say we evolved from apes, but that we are apes.

[A rather obscure Bassoon]

The scientists that want to prove evolution,want to prove that man evolved from the apes.Let me inform you that those very scientists do not have a clue!Man did not evolve from the apes.Man was a separate entity in this world.We all supposedly evolved from our own beings.God created us in his own image.If you want to argue about this,I have had many argumentative theorists that can NOT prove that man evolved from apes.If Man evolved from the apes,then,why are there still man & apes?None of us has has evolved & separated from the very beings that we are theorised to have come from.So my friend,where did the scientists go wrong? Obviously they did not see this coming!

Fortunately,Science prevails over the book of fairy tales known as the bible...

[Rlyeh]

If Man evolved from the apes,then,why are there still man & apes?

Talk about not having a clue.

[GirlfromOz]

Our ancestors walked upright because that is the way that they started!We were not apes that had to progress to walking that way.We started walking upright because that is the way that we started.If we were made in the image of God,then we had an upper hand in the way that things worked.God gifted us all with his thinking & the way that he moved forward.He gifted us with his mind & sense of humour.He gave us a mind to think & to distinguish between right & wrong.He knew that we would question many things because he gave us our minds that,were,in a way,close to his.He gave us freedom to question.And to you Dear Rlyeh,Do you even have a clue?

Edited May 25, 2013 by GirlfromOz

[ash68]

You can't play football on all fours or maybe,to be serious, you can move alot quicker on two legs to hunt your prey,or chase the ball !!!!

[Rlyeh]

Our ancestors walked upright because that is the way that they started!We were not apes that had to progress to walking that way.We started walking upright because that is the way that we started.If we were made in the image of God,then we had an upper hand in the way that things worked.God gifted us all with his thinking & the way that he moved forward.He gifted us with his mind & sense of humour.He gave us a mind to think & to distinguish between right & wrong.He knew that we would question many things because he gave us our minds that,were,in a way,close to his.He gave us freedom to question.

And then you woke up.

[Frank Merton]

Carrying things, including babies, probably had a lot to do with it. We were, as I already said, preadapted to an upright posture and having a head well above ground level We don't depend on smell much -- far more on vision, we have grasping hands with nails and fingerprints rather than hooves or claws These were all adaptations to climbing about in trees.

But, as the OP suggests, some of us found ourselves in a different terrain, with few if any trees, but lots of climbing still to be done, we would make it because of our preadaptation. At this point evolution would continue and make us upright entirely. All of this has been abundantly demonstrated, not just theoretically but in the actual fossil record.

[GirlfromOz]

So dear Rkyeh,it appears that you have a pre-judgemental view of me! It doesn't bother me in the slightest.Of course I am a christian.Now when you make your next judgemental comment,think very carefully.Your viewpoint might very well influence the next person that needs your help.Are you ready to take on the consequenses of your actions in regards to the Lord's actions?

[Ashyne]

This article makes no sense. Quadrupedalism is suited for rough, rugged terrain, not Bipedalism! That is why we use 4-wheeled rovers or in the future, 4-6 legged walkers to explore planets with uneven terrain like Mars! 4 legs allows faster recovery of balance and increased stability on bad terrain!

[Frank Merton]

Well, now, what Rkyeh observed is that you don't appear to have a clue, as it is well known why a variety of apes persist as well as ourselves. Evolution tends to form branches like a bush, not move in a straight line. This makes it easy to understand the huge diversity of life. Therefore, as you seem ignorant of this elementary fact, he observed that you don't appear to have a clue. It was your demonstration of ignorance, not you as a person, that he remarked on.

Your reaction seems judgmental, while his seems natural. You condemn and in fact even incorporate a subtle threat about what God might do. I don't think any of us should be making such threats.

[Ashyne]

The scientists that want to prove evolution,want to prove that man evolved from the apes.Let me inform you that those very scientists do not have a clue!Man did not evolve from the apes.Man was a separate entity in this world.We all supposedly evolved from our own beings.God created us in his own image.If you want to argue about this,I have had many argumentative theorists that can NOT prove that man evolved from apes.If Man evolved from the apes,then,why are there still man & apes?None of us has has evolved & separated from the very beings that we are theorised to have come from.So my friend,where did the scientists go wrong? Obviously they did not see this coming!

I don't think you understand the course of evolution very well. Man obviously did not evolve from Apes, because Man and Apes belong to different species, but they descended from a single common ancestor which was neither Man nor Ape.

[Frank Merton]

This article makes no sense. Quadrupedalism is suited for rough, rugged terrain, not Bipedalism! That is why we use 4-wheeled rovers or in the future, 4-6 legged walkers to explore planets with uneven terrain like Mars! 4 legs allows faster recovery of balance and increased stability on bad terrain!

What I picture is creatures with hands rather than forefeet finding themselves in rocky terrain If that is what you have, then you will walk. It seems obvious, and, in fact, this view is rather old, not new at all.

[moonshadow60]

Supposing evolution is real, when the ice age arrived, one would not want to be on hands and knees. Standing upright is a lot better than tunneling everywhere you go in deep snow.

[GirlfromOz]

I am not going to waste my time trying to explain to yourselves.Your dual identities explain it all.Your explanations are not sufficient enough to me to warrant my explaining myself to you.Just get on with it all & accept the whole biblical truth.

Edited May 25, 2013 by GirlfromOz

[Ashyne]

Supposing evolution is real, when the ice age arrived, one would not want to be on hands and knees. Standing upright is a lot better than tunneling everywhere you go in deep snow.

Actually, walking upright on snow is disadvantageous compared to walked on all fours. Because when you are walking on 2 legs, all your body weight is focused on 2 points, pushing downwards, you sink into the snow faster. With 4 legs, your body weight is spread out and you do not sink as fast.

Also, walking upright in snow (where it is assumed the temperature is also very low), makes the body lose heat faster because more area is exposed to chilling winds. Walking on all fours creates a pocket of warm air between the limbs and body, as well as protecting the front torso (where the vital organs are) from blowing winds, helping the body to retain body heat better.

Edited May 25, 2013 by Ashiene

[Frank Merton]

Supposing evolution is real, when the ice age arrived, one would not want to be on hands and knees. Standing upright is a lot better than tunneling everywhere you go in deep snow.

Well, true, but humans don't do too well in deep snow anyway. The areas of the world where humans adopted upright posture have never seen ice sheets.

[moonshadow60]

Thank you for elucidating. I was just sitting here supposing I was naked and it was cold. There are some bits I wouldn't want dragging through the snow.