Articles tagged with Bipedalism
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A new international study identifies several protein families potentially involved in bone remodeling and highlights their role in shaping bone structures through mechanoadaptation. The study sheds light on the evolutionary mechanisms behind bone mechanoadaptation and its relation to locomotion patterns such as bipedalism.
Researchers found that Issa Valley chimpanzees frequently climb trees for valuable food, which could explain why early hominins retained arboreal adaptations. The study suggests that safely navigating the canopy remained important for large, semi-arboreal apes in open habitats.
Researchers analyzed fossil and living animal bones to reconstruct the path to upright posture, finding bursts of innovation and adaptive radiations. The study suggests that fully parasagittal postures evolved relatively late in mammalian history, contradicting previous theories.
A new study in PLOS One reveals over 130 dinosaur footprints on the Isle of Skye, providing insight into their distribution and behavior. The trackways suggest large theropods like Megalosaurus and sauropods like Cetiosaurus strolled through ancient subtropical lagoons.
Study reveals the brain controls leg coordination during walking only when discoordination exceeds a certain threshold. Researchers found that not actively intervening improves energy efficiency and maneuverability.
Researchers in Japan have developed a two-legged biohybrid robot that uses muscle tissues to achieve fine movements and efficiency. The robot can walk, stop, and make precise turning motions, paving the way for future advancements in robotics.
A new species of dinosaur, Iani smithi, has been discovered in Utah's Cedar Mountain Formation, providing insights into how dinosaurs weathered ecological change during the mid-Cretaceous period. The discovery suggests that several major groups of dinosaurs survived into the early Late Cretaceous despite the changes.
A new study from Harvard University identifies the genes and genetic sequences that orchestrate the formation of the human pelvis during pregnancy. The research shows that key pelvic features form around 6- to 8-week mark, including a curved and basin-like shape.
Researchers have found conclusive evidence that early humans made footprints at Laetoli Site A in Tanzania, contradicting the long-held theory that they were made by bears. The study reveals distinct differences between human and bear footprints, including a wide heel-to-toe ratio, which suggests bipedal locomotion.
Researchers at LSU Health have rediscovered the correct anatomy of the hip muscles, finding that they do not join into a single tendon but instead attach to different regions. This discovery has significant implications for understanding the evolution of human upright gait and bipedal locomotion.
A team of scientists found that people can adjust their walking efficiency automatically, even when distracted, without having to think about it. This ability allows for focus on other tasks while walking, such as tracking road bumps and managing daily life.
Research reveals that humans take shorter strides than chimpanzees due to reduced pelvic rotation, extending their stride by only 5.4 times compared to the mini wiggles performed when walking. This discovery challenges the long-held assumption that humans have evolved the longest possible stride for efficiency.
A new study published in PNAS suggests that a smaller pelvic canal is biomechanically advantageous for supporting the fetus and organs, despite being disadvantageous for childbirth. This 'pelvic floor hypothesis' was tested through finite element analysis, revealing that larger pelvic floors deform disproportionately more under pressure.
The study found that the fetal skull and maternal pelvis show covariation to facilitate smooth delivery, contradicting previous hypotheses about bipedalism's role in this process. Researchers used CT scans to analyze the anatomy of rhesus macaques and found evidence of this adaptative relationship.
A new study has announced the discovery of well-preserved 110-120-million-year-old footprints belonging to a large bipedal ancestor of modern-day crocodiles from South Korea's Jinju Formation. The tracks suggest that these ancient animals were 3-4 meters long and walked on two legs.
Researchers discovered large well-preserved footprints of a new species of crocodylomorph, which are ancestors of modern-day crocodiles. The tracks are more than twice as large as previously found batrachopodid tracks and indicate that the animals walked on two legs.
Researchers reconstructed locomotor behavior in fossil hominins by comparing trabecular bone structure. The results suggest a predominantly bipedal gait in one specimen and mixed use of bipedalism and climbing in another.
A two-legged robot named Little Hermes has been developed to walk, run, jump and interact with the environment synchronously with a human operator. The robot is guided by a person from a remote location who feels the same physical forces as the robot.
New research on Psittacosaurus reveals changes in brain shape and posture as the animal grows from baby to adult. The study shows that Psittacosaurus started on all fours but switched to bipedalism around two or three years old.
A new study published in the Journal of Human Evolution provides evidence for a more robust adaptation to bipedalism in the human ancestor Ardipithecus ramidus. The research shows that Ardipithecus used its big toe as a propulsive lever when walking, marking a key transitional phase in human evolution.
Researchers at UT Austin successfully demonstrated a novel approach to human-like balance in a biped robot, allowing it to dynamically balance without ankle control. The technique uses whole-body controllers and inverse kinematics to mimic human movement, with implications for robots in emergency response, defense, and entertainment.
Researchers analyzed the motion of lizards to develop new insights into bipedal locomotion. The study found that some species run bipedally sooner than expected, thanks to tail movement, which could improve obstacle negotiation for robots.
A study reveals early hominin forefoot evolution facilitated bipedal locomotion. The degree of dorsal doming in metatarsophalangeal joints correlated with MTPJ range of motion and was important for bipedalism, suggesting adaptations appeared over 4.4 million years ago.
Research suggests that human-like bipedalism emerged around 3.6 million years ago, allowing for more efficient energy expenditure during long-distance travel. This shift likely responded to climate and habitat changes, enabling ancestral hominins to cover longer distances while foraging.
A new study shows that bipedal desert rodents use unpredictable movements to evade predators and gain a competitive edge. The jerboas' unique gait use, including hopping, skipping, and running, allows them to outmaneuver their quadrupedal neighbors.
A new study reveals that Teleocrater rhadinus, a 3-meter-long, crocodile-shaped dinosaur, challenges earlier hypotheses on early dinosaur evolution. The discovery suggests that the most ancient dinosaurs' ancestors were quadrupedal, contradicting the long-held image of bipedal, chicken-like creatures.
A study published in the Journal of Human Evolution confirms that human skull evolution is linked to two-legged walking. Researchers found a forward-shifted foramen magnum in 77 mammal species, including humans, kangaroos, and springhares, indicating a common trait among bipedal mammals.
Researchers discovered that ancient dinosaurs inherited bipedalism from smaller proto-dinosaurs, who developed strong tail muscles. This adaptation allowed early dinosaurs to run faster and for longer distances. However, mammals lost this trait due to the need for burrowing adaptations, which required strong front limbs and short tails.
Bhounsule plans to create algorithms enabling legged robots to balance on difficult terrain. His goal is to make a versatile robot with efficient balance and navigation capabilities.
A new study on Homo naledi foot bones reveals that the species was well adapted for standing and walking on two feet but also likely comfortable climbing trees. The analysis provides insight into the skeletal form and function that may have characterized early members of our genus.
Researchers used brain imaging and fossil evidence to confirm earlier studies on somatotopic maps in humans and monkeys. Early hominids evolved dexterous fingers when still quadrupeds, while bipedal locomotion led to a separate adaptation of the big toe for balance control.
Researchers confirm that Oreopithecus had anatomical features incompatible with habitual bipedal walking. The study refutes a long-standing debate about the ape's locomotor behavior, providing new insight into its unique characteristics.
Researchers found that bipedal jerboas' unpredictable movement allows them to forage further from their burrows, limiting competition. Bipedal and quadrupedal desert rodents occupy different niches due to differences in locomotion.
A new study challenges traditional hypotheses on human evolution by suggesting that bipedalism emerged as a response to the terrain, rather than climate-driven vegetation changes. The research proposes that the development of upright gait was driven by the need for security and food in rocky outcrops and gorges.
A team of researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand analyzed the movement patterns of bipedal kangaroos and wallabies, comparing them to quadrupedal marsupials. They found that bipedal marsupials experience greater joint forces in their hind limbs, which provides insight into the structural uniqueness of these joints.
Researchers at Disney Research developed a markerless motion capture technique that captures 3D poses implicitly by estimating the underlying physics of motion. This method generates biped controllers, which can be applied to characters in new environments, enabling more realistic animations and interactions.
Researchers discovered that ancient footprints in Laetoli, Tanzania, show human-like features and gait existed almost 2 million years earlier than previously thought. The study used a new statistical technique to analyze 11 intact prints and compared them to modern human and great ape footprints.
A new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder found that female hominids preferred to move away from their residential groups, suggesting a dispersal pattern similar to modern humans and some primates. The team used high-tech analysis of strontium isotope ratios in tooth enamel to identify specific areas of landscape use.
A University of Utah study shows that men can hit with far more force when standing upright than when on all fours, giving tall males a fighting advantage. This supports the theory that bipedalism evolved to allow humans to fight with greater strength, and may explain why women prefer tall men.
The discovery of ancient dinosaur footprints in Poland pushes the timeline for the emergence of dinosaurs by 5-9 million years. The oldest evidence, Sphingopus footprints, dates back to 246 million years ago and provides insight into the evolution of bipedal dinosaurs.
Researchers found that fossil footprints made 3.6 million years ago show a human-like striding gait, indicating bipedalism among early hominins. The study suggests that humans' ancestors were more energetically efficient with their walking posture than previously thought.
Researchers at NYU and Harvard created a bipedal, autonomous DNA walker that can move on its own using two fuel strands. The device forms base pairs as it moves along a track of DNA, creating energy for movement.
A new study reveals that dinosaurs were not superior to their crocodile cousins during the Triassic period. In fact, crurotarsans - a group closely related to dinosaurs and crocodiles - outcompeted them for resources and explored a larger range of body types and lifestyles.
A team of scientists found that lizards running on two legs is due to their acceleration, which creates a turning force acting on the lizard's torso, lifting it off the ground. The researchers suggest that 'pulling a wheelie' is the most likely explanation for the lizards' bipedalism.
Researchers at University of Washington and Johns Hopkins University propose that shuffling emerged as a precursor to bipedal behavior to conserve metabolic energy. For distances less than 30 feet, shuffling would be efficient, while longer distances would favor all fours.
Researchers propose that carrying heavy infants safely on two legs may have driven the emergence of bipedalism. The study found a relationship between infant weight, hair friction and body angle that prevents safe carrying.
A recent study published in PLoS ONE confirms that many early hominoid apes were upright bipedal walkers sharing the basic body form of modern humans. This groundbreaking research reveals a specific genetic change that generated the upright human body form and identifies four upright bipedal species that precede Australopithecus Lucy.
Researchers found human walking is 75% less costly than chimpanzee quadrupedal and bipedal walking. This energy savings could have given early hominids an edge in foraging for food, potentially driving the evolution of bipedalism.
A new study suggests that walking on two legs, or bipedalism, evolved because it used less energy than quadrupedal knucklewalking. Researchers collected metabolic, kinematic and kinetic data from chimpanzees and humans walking on a treadmill, finding that humans only used one-quarter of the energy as chimpanzees when walking upright.
A study by researchers found that wild orangutans' upright walking, or bipedalism, may have arisen in tree-dwelling apes, rather than in human ancestors. The discovery challenges the long-held savannah hypothesis and suggests that early human ancestors abandoned high canopies for forest floors, where they remained bipedal.
Researchers at UC Berkeley have observed octopuses walking on two arms, using the outer halves as 'tank treads' for locomotion. This bipedal behavior may be a strategy for backing away from predators while maintaining camouflage.
Researchers unveiled a new breed of energy-efficient bipedal robots with a human-like gait. The robots use passive-dynamic walking devices to reduce power consumption, enabling applications in prosthetic devices and robotic control.
Researchers have found evidence of a chimp-sized hominid walking upright on two legs in Kenya's Tugen Hills, dating back to 6 million years ago. The fossil shows a thinner neck connecting the ball to the shaft, indicating an early transition to bipedalism.
A 290 million-year-old reptile's nearly complete skeleton reveals it was a bipedal runner that probably used its speed to escape predators. Its unique posture, with long legs and short arms, indicates an upright locomotion similar to humans'.