Why did our ancestors start walking upright?

[Rlyeh]

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?

How is it pre-judgement when I've already seen your other preachy responses?

You aren't the only Christian, yet you are the only one preaching religious dogma in a science forum.

[Rlyeh]

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.

However great apes are Hominidae, humans are also a member of this family. Some researchers consider humans are therefore great apes, as such our common ancestor would logically have to be an ape. Edited May 25, 2013 by Rlyeh

[pallidin]

My, uneducated take on this is that becoming bi-pedal reduced chances of vital organs being ripped apart from "ground" creatures.

Not saying many other animals could not still kill us being bi-pedal.

Additionally, walking upright would give an animal a further sense of a "threat environment" against larger animals.

I don't know, just speculating.

[madduke]

What do you know. Climate change caused man to walk on two legs. Must of been Al Gore's ancestor who led the charge to become "two footers".

[PersonFromPorlock]

Well, the only other apes with a bipedal (more or less) habit, bonobos, live in jungles and split their time between trees and ground, so I kinda doubt that 'leaving the jungle' was essential to human bipedalism. Probably the first upright hominim who was bright enough to realize that carrying a club in his free hand gave him an enormous advantage over the competition was the father of us all.

[Frank Merton]

Gorillas and Chimpanzees, when on the ground, walk mainly on their knuckles, but are capable of carrying things reasonable distances. They are still largely arboreal but do spend time on the ground. Orangs and gibbons are entirely arboreal and move about mainly by brachiating -- as do monkeys -- or by walking along branches, using their hands for balance or support. All of this requires an opposable thumb and grasping fingers with prints and nails -- all inherited from monkeys, who evolved the traits in the first place.

Pre-evolution happens a lot -- it is when a creature gets features that by good luck adapt it to a new environment. Humans were, then, pre-evolved for walking upright and carrying things by our predecessors who lived in trees. Assuming some humanoids found themselves in a non-forest environment (maybe grassland, maybe, per the OP, rocky terrain), but they were adapted to tree living. They can't change back into four-footed animals, so they do something else that they are luckily pre-adapted for -- they evolve bipedalism. Evolution is not planned -- it has to take advantage of the situation as it exists "on the ground," as it were.

[Arbenol]

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

If my cousin and I are descended from my grandfather, then why is there still me, my cousin and my grandfather.

Explain that!

[Arbenol]

Obviously, any species that can walk and scratch it's backside at the same time is going to have a significant evolutionary advantage.

Bears have to find a tree. That's why polar bears are always so grumpy.

[Frank Merton]

That's why I was so frustrated when the airlines declared that I can't take my backscratcher with my carry-on baggage.

[Arbenol]

That's why I was so frustrated when the airlines declared that I can't take my backscratcher with my carry-on baggage.

Maybe you could take a small tree next time.

[lightly]

Well, the only other apes with a bipedal (more or less) habit, bonobos, live in jungles and split their time between trees and ground, so I kinda doubt that 'leaving the jungle' was essential to human bipedalism. Probably the first upright hominim who was bright enough to realize that carrying a club in his free hand gave him an enormous advantage over the competition was the father of us all.

this makes me wonder.. what was in his other hand? My guess is the reasons were multiple.. carrying things and being able to see farther for self defense and food gathering?

[Maz1]

There was a documentary 10 years ago which said that one of the reason we are bipedal is to conserve our energy for sex.

*Goes back to my little hole*

[bigjonalien]

I'd like to know why we weren't born with four arms and two hearts?

[+DieChecker]

Gorillas and Chimps walk tripod when carrying or dragging something. Those apes mostly have one baby at a time. Now imagine a sub-species of chimp that had two or more babies at a time... They'd need both hands to carry their babies.

Edited May 26, 2013 by DieChecker

[Skithia]

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.

Why?

[Abramelin]

Why did our ancestors start walking upright?

Maybe their knees started hurting:

[Frank Merton]

From the picture it is obvious we are not designed to walk on all fours. The thing is, we are descended from animals that were. Hence morning backache.

[PersonFromPorlock]

this makes me wonder.. what was in his other hand?

Paperwork. It started early.

[starchild1976]

It was to help the chicken cross the road.

[Artaxerxes]

It takes less energy to walk bi-pedal on two legs than it does on four legs. It's as simple as that. Food/energy/calories were at a premium and our ancestors had to save energy any way they could. They had to go further to feed and it was cheaper energy wise to walk on two legs than on four.

[Skep B]

I always assumed it was so they could learn to strut