Evolution of walking on two feet

[K5Rakitan]

Being a mother has gotten me thinking about some things. Most theories on why humans began walking upright are centered on the male perspective: Male free hands to carry things. Male bring Female food. Female give Male sex.

Becoming Human: The Evolution of Walking Upright

Walking on two legs distinguished the first hominids from other apes, but scientists still aren't sure why our ancestors became bipedal

www.smithsonianmag.com

While that might be part of the story, there’s a far more logical explanation in my mind. Females started walking on two legs to take their infants away from dangerous situations. Those who protected their babies obviously had more reproductive success.

As our babies started to rely more on their mothers for safety, they also became more curious. Our prolonged childhoods allowed more time for brain development. Every human you see is a monument to countless hours of patience from parents and other caretakers.

What are your ideas on why humans started walking on two feet?

 

[Jemini]

Because simian like pre-hominid creatures started wandering farther away from trees, which meant that their musculature needed to support their ability to stand even without the support of something to climb on.

(I'll always be there to give the non-gendered perspective. :p )

EDIT: Based on what I've heard about the evolution of walking on two legs, while my characterization of the initial behavior above sounds reasonable, the reason why the legs developed to become as efficient at their job as they are now had everything to do with long-distance running, which was an essential part of early human hunting strategies. There are plenty of animals that can run faster than a human, but there is literally no creature in the entire animal kingdom that has more jogging-pace stamina than a human. A well conditioned human can even beat out a horse in this area.

The hunting strategy of early humans was literally to run things to death. The humans pursuing their prey would keep tracking the same prey. The prey would run away, and usually be faster. However, hunters who have trained their tracking skills could keep following it and force it to run again and again until it inevitably tired out Vs. the far higher stamina humans.

All this high stamina is actually a direct result of walking on two legs. Moving two limbs just takes less energy than moving four.

 

[LunaSoltaer]

I remembered hearing something about being bipedal helping with tool use, especially throwing javelins (or more like sharp pointy sticks) at range with force to DPS giant monsters with fuckoff better stats than we do in STR, CON, HP, the works. Basically let us drive our death delivery dirks (okay, they're a lot longer than dirks, but I want alliteration) using the full power of our bodies, allowing us to turn "throwing shit" into "throwing useful shit and winning", which be built machines to transform into "throwing even deadlier shit but we turn lengths of wood into springs to do it" and then "throwing super deadly shit with explosions."

Nature is a violent bitch and rewards weird things. And while the above is more male-centric (excepting female warrior societies), the below is even more universal and something I cooked up just now but that I could also have read somewhere:

Standing on two legs means eyes higher up. Eyes higher up means more vision. More vision means you see more things faster. Things like mates to date, beets to eat, and monsters to get the hell away from. Getting the hell away from things scarier than you is extremely condusive to survival as you've noted.

 

[CupcakeNinja]

Being a mother has gotten me thinking about some things. Most theories on why humans began walking upright are centered on the male perspective: Male free hands to carry things. Male bring Female food. Female give Male sex.

Becoming Human: The Evolution of Walking Upright

Walking on two legs distinguished the first hominids from other apes, but scientists still aren't sure why our ancestors became bipedal

www.smithsonianmag.com

While that might be part of the story, there’s a far more logical explanation in my mind. Females started walking on two legs to take their infants away from dangerous situations. Those who protected their babies obviously had more reproductive success.

As our babies started to rely more on their mothers for safety, they also became more curious. Our prolonged childhoods allowed more time for brain development. Every human you see is a monument to countless hours of patience from parents and other caretakers.

What are your ideas on why humans started walking on two feet?

I think humans started walking due to danger, period. Plenty of animals give fuck all about their children under certain circumstances. But our survival instinct? Fucking pristine. So we walked away from things we felt dangerous, harmful, towards ourselves.

Your theory does have a place here. But not until later on. At the start, I say survival takes precedence. A mother's love works with certain levels of sentience, and we cant discount the length mothers will go to to protect their progeny.

However there are also many example of them abandoning their kids. Why? For their own sake, whatever that may be.

Humans are very selfish. While we have evolved with the ability to get past that, I cant believe that's how it was back when primal instincts had us by the nutsack.

 

[Comiak]

Being a mother has gotten me thinking about some things. Most theories on why humans began walking upright are centered on the male perspective: Male free hands to carry things. Male bring Female food. Female give Male sex.

Becoming Human: The Evolution of Walking Upright

Walking on two legs distinguished the first hominids from other apes, but scientists still aren't sure why our ancestors became bipedal

www.smithsonianmag.com

While that might be part of the story, there’s a far more logical explanation in my mind. Females started walking on two legs to take their infants away from dangerous situations. Those who protected their babies obviously had more reproductive success.

As our babies started to rely more on their mothers for safety, they also became more curious. Our prolonged childhoods allowed more time for brain development. Every human you see is a monument to countless hours of patience from parents and other caretakers.

What are your ideas on why humans started walking on two feet?

While that is an interesting take One only needs to look at out closest relative to see that it's more complicated than that. Chimp infants will often grab onto their mother if they need to be carried away and there's no real reason to drop that trait unless it became unnecessary. Human Infants lost that ability in the most part but can still be seen as a vestigial trait, babies will try to reach out grab onto you sometimes, like pulling on the loose hairs on the back of your neck.

Thinking about it evolutionarily, bipedalism probably came about with tool usage, which is much older than you would think, like two million years old IIRC. That is a long time for bipedalism to evolve from tool usage, even chimps are known to use clubs when attacking other chimp tribes which is a form of tool usage.

There is another way to think about it. Humans are endurance hunters, meaning they run the prey down until it is too exhausted to run anymore and gives up. Bipedalism uses fewer legs to run and thus uses less energy so humans can run longer. Bipedalism probably doesn't have any one thing responsible for it, and probably has many contributing factors. The fact that freed-up hands can use tools is very convenient for intelligent animals who also are endurance hunters is just a coincidence.

 

[Layenlml]

Dont kangaruus throw their babies as a way to distract predators? Better one dying than all of them

I think humans started walking due to danger, period. Plenty of animals give fuck all about their children under certain circumstances. But our survival instinct? Fucking pristine. So we walked away from things we felt dangerous, harmful, towards ourselves.

Your theory does have a place here. But not until later on. At the start, I say survival takes precedence. A mother's love works with certain levels of sentience, and we cant discount the length mothers will go to to protect their progeny.

However there are also many example of them abandoning their kids. Why? For their own sake, whatever that may be.

Humans are very selfish. While we have evolved with the ability to get past that, I cant believe that's how it was back when primal instincts had us by the nutsack.

 

[K5Rakitan]

While that is an interesting take One only needs to look at out closest relative to see that it's more complicated than that. Chimp infants will often grab onto their mother if they need to be carried away and there's no real reason to drop that trait unless it became unnecessary. Human Infants lost that ability in the most part but can still be seen as a vestigial trait, babies will try to reach out grab onto you sometimes, like pulling on the loose hairs on the back of your neck.

Thinking about it evolutionarily, bipedalism probably came about with tool usage, which is much older than you would think, like two million years old IIRC. That is a long time for bipedalism to evolve from tool usage, even chimps are known to use clubs when attacking other chimp tribes which is a form of tool usage.

There is another way to think about it. Humans are endurance hunters, meaning they run the prey down until it is too exhausted to run anymore and gives up. Bipedalism uses fewer legs to run and thus uses less energy so humans can run longer. Bipedalism probably doesn't have any one thing responsible for it, and probably has many contributing factors. The fact that freed-up hands can use tools is very convenient for intelligent animals who also are endurance hunters is just a coincidence.

Did you read the article?
"One problem with this idea is that the earliest stone tools don’t show up in the archaeological record until roughly 2.5 million years ago, about 4.5 million years after bipedalism’s origin."

I was talking about this with my dad. In chimps, it is the responsibility of the baby to know that it is in danger. This means the baby can't take as many risks as human infants. I mean . . . have you seen a baby interact with stuff lately? In humans, the responsibility for the baby's safety falls completely on the caretaker.

Anyway, I was also inspired with this thought by a piece of art. I can't post it here because of nudity, but you can go see it on my Facebook page:

Kari Rakitan

Kari Rakitan is on Facebook. Join Facebook to connect with Kari Rakitan and others you may know. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected.

www.facebook.com

Dont kangaruus throw their babies as a way to distract predators? Better one dying than all of them

Sure, but kangaroos don't gestate nearly as long as humans. We invest more resources in each individual offspring.

I think humans started walking due to danger, period. Plenty of animals give fuck all about their children under certain circumstances. But our survival instinct? Fucking pristine. So we walked away from things we felt dangerous, harmful, towards ourselves.

Your theory does have a place here. But not until later on. At the start, I say survival takes precedence. A mother's love works with certain levels of sentience, and we cant discount the length mothers will go to to protect their progeny.

However there are also many example of them abandoning their kids. Why? For their own sake, whatever that may be.

Humans are very selfish. While we have evolved with the ability to get past that, I cant believe that's how it was back when primal instincts had us by the nutsack.

Come see the naked people in the art I posted on Facebook

 

[Ninetailed_Furball]

I believe it's important to look at our closest relatives and do some comparison.
Pretty much all primates handle tools to one degree or another, but are half bipedal, half quadrupeds. They are able to walk on two feet, but prefer to use their hands to support their body when possible. Especially compared to chimps, who are the most capable of using tools of all primates.

But unlike chimps, humans come from a line that lost their old habitats of living in trees. Either by being driven out or habitat loss. Either way, things probably started from there, as bipedal movement isn't that useful in a tree, but it's damn useful for searching your surroundings for dangers and food. Lots of animals do the same, like ferrets and meerkats, though they only stand on two legs for a short while at a time.

But I doubt that hunting was a related reason at this point, as from what I've read, endurance hunting's only come into play once humans started to shed body hair and gained increased sweat glands. The reason why humans can outrun other animals in the long run is because we are way better at removing excess heat than any other animal. The reason why an antelope would collapse in exhaustion isn't because they ran out of energy, but because they've cooked themselves to death from moving their bodies far longer than they evolved to. You don't even need tools to kill an antelope that dying from heatstroke because they can only get rid of body heat through evaporating their saliva.

Same goes for carrying babies. Chimp babies can hang onto their mothers fine, and I've read that even human newborns can support their entire body weight with nothing but their hand grip. Something left over from when we were in the trees.

But that doesn't answer why humans started to prefer bipedal movement over quadrupedal. Personally, I think that it's because it's more calorie effecient. Human bone structure is optimized for walking, not standing like horses nor running like lions. I've read scientists compare our feet to those of elephants, as we're one of the few animals that stand on our heels. Standing animals and running animals stand on their toes, while walking animals stand on their heels. We lack the stability to stand upright for long periods of time, nor do we have the stride length to run quickly. But walking, we are some of the best in the world for that, and doing it on two legs is more efficient than four.

 

[K5Rakitan]

I've read that even human newborns can support their entire body weight with nothing but their hand grip. Something left over from when we were in the trees.

You've read, but have you actually had a baby lately? Human newborns can't support the weight of their own heads. Mine did some grabbing of my nipples and fingers when he was first born, but then he seemed to forget that his hands existed until he was about two months old.

 

[Layenlml]

You've read, but have you actually had a baby lately? Human newborns can't support the weight of their own heads. Mine did some grabbing of my nipples and fingers when he was first born, but then he seemed to forget that his hands existed until he was about two months old.

I remember reading about 'super' power of babies, like ducks and their sticky feets to climb.

Humans babies have a amazing grip strength to hold into their mothers.


Tools can be rocks or sticks, they don't need to be complex to be used as one. Humans pretty much evolved that way because they started to sdventure into more open spaces where being taller is simply more beneficial, tools simply where an addition to it.

 

[Comiak]

You've read, but have you actually had a baby lately? Human newborns can't support the weight of their own heads. Mine did some grabbing of my nipples and fingers when he was first born, but then he seemed to forget that his hands existed until he was about two months old.

It's almost like Humans babies once had the ability to hold onto their mothers and support them until evolution happened and they lost that ability but still do the grabbing because of vestigial traits.

 

[Ilikewaterkusa]

Being a mother has gotten me thinking about some things. Most theories on why humans began walking upright are centered on the male perspective: Male free hands to carry things. Male bring Female food. Female give Male sex.

Becoming Human: The Evolution of Walking Upright

Walking on two legs distinguished the first hominids from other apes, but scientists still aren't sure why our ancestors became bipedal

www.smithsonianmag.com

While that might be part of the story, there’s a far more logical explanation in my mind. Females started walking on two legs to take their infants away from dangerous situations. Those who protected their babies obviously had more reproductive success.

As our babies started to rely more on their mothers for safety, they also became more curious. Our prolonged childhoods allowed more time for brain development. Every human you see is a monument to countless hours of patience from parents and other caretakers.

What are your ideas on why humans started walking on two feet?

Perhaps it was because we could reach for the high foods, where much of our rivals wouldn’t reach, and it preferable to have a loonngg neck which might serve as a burden, a weakness.

 

[CupcakeNinja]

Dont kangaruus throw their babies as a way to distract predators? Better one dying than all of them

Lol yeah I think i did read that somewhere. Proves my point too. Humans evolved past this for the most part, but it's not like all of us are so protective. Animals are ruled primarily by instinct. They will protect the next generation so long as they believe they themselves wont surely die in the pursuit.

Otherwise they think, "I can make more"
It's very cold, but I cant blame them. The self must reign above all others

 

[TotallyHuman]

To survive I guess. Trees started becoming rare and rather than monkeying around, it was more profitable to crawl, then crouch, then walk. It's not like a monkey one day decided "oh shit walking is kinda dope" and it's children became bipedal. It was a long and very slow process of adapting to a changing environment as a species. At least I'd think so.

 

[Generic.Archdemon]

What are your ideas on why humans started walking on two feet?

If I remember my Anthro...
1- Physio biological reason... walking on 2 feet uses less energy... something to do with posture and the position of the lungs or something.. (? a quarter less energy I dun know)
2- Practical reason... hands now free to carry stuff use tools and smack peepos
3- Social reason.... being taller shows off what a massive boss you are.

Walking is great and all... but...
S-tier has gotta be the development of the Larynx to allow for the existence of the glottal stop.
the glottis let humans create sounds that would become words.
words to language to vocab to syntax, thus the development of the brain
Writing, culture and art...
and ultimately...
Twitter.

 

[K5Rakitan]

I remember reading

Yes yes, but do you remember having a baby?

 

[hauntedwritings]

Being a mother has gotten me thinking about some things. Most theories on why humans began walking upright are centered on the male perspective: Male free hands to carry things. Male bring Female food. Female give Male sex.

Becoming Human: The Evolution of Walking Upright

Walking on two legs distinguished the first hominids from other apes, but scientists still aren't sure why our ancestors became bipedal

www.smithsonianmag.com

While that might be part of the story, there’s a far more logical explanation in my mind. Females started walking on two legs to take their infants away from dangerous situations. Those who protected their babies obviously had more reproductive success.

As our babies started to rely more on their mothers for safety, they also became more curious. Our prolonged childhoods allowed more time for brain development. Every human you see is a monument to countless hours of patience from parents and other caretakers.

What are your ideas on why humans started walking on two feet?

Well, here's my hypothesis...although it should be far too simple to be realistic.

As descendants from apes, we used to hang out in trees. But supposing that because of the need for migration or natural disasters resulting in a lack of trees, we had to spend more time at ground level - where the predators are. By the process of natural selection, those who survive are the ones who can move the fastest on the ground. And what do we need to gain speed on the ground? Legs. Long legs, and strong legs.

Supposing that the species had to survive more often and over longer periods on the ground, this results in a positive feedback loop where any genetic mutations that strengthen the legs are reinforced. Eventually, there comes a stage when the species is completely bipedal. It's simply faster - just like at some point, we all realized that crawling on all fours was cumbersome and painful. It was worth the effort to stand up, in order to move around faster and more easily.

 

[Zirrboy]

Did you read the article?
"One problem with this idea is that the earliest stone tools don’t show up in the archaeological record until roughly 2.5 million years ago, about 4.5 million years after bipedalism’s origin."

I was talking about this with my dad. In chimps, it is the responsibility of the baby to know that it is in danger. This means the baby can't take as many risks as human infants. I mean . . . have you seen a baby interact with stuff lately? In humans, the responsibility for the baby's safety falls completely on the caretaker.

Afaik the underdevelopment of human children is because of upright walk. The combination of big head and narrow pelvis means the only way of getting them through it is (from a developmental standpoint) shorter carriage.

This is also the reason most animals just kinda drop out while humans get the fun version of birth process.

 

[AryaX]

1. Deforestation is probably the first cause... Our ancestors likely still took most of their food from the trees initially, but had to move from tree to tree on the ground, and on the ground they were far more vulnerable to predators...

2. The earlier you spot approaching predators while on the ground, the more likely it is that you can reach the "safety" of the trees in time...
And the taller you can stand, the further you can see...

3. Being able to move around while standing tall is obviously superior still...

4. And eventually some of our ancestors found the big black box, and rest is history...

 

[Habtamu]

because humans in the first place can walk upright.