Humans began walking upright to carry scarce resources, chimp study suggests

Science News

Humans Began Walking Upright to Carry Scarce Resources, Chimp Study Suggests
Most of us walk and carry items in our hands every day. These are seemingly simple activities that the majority of us don't question. But an international team of researchers, including Brian Richmond at the George Washington University, have discovered that human bipedalism, or walking upright, may have originated millions of years ago as an adaptation to carrying scarce, high-quality resources. This latest research was published in this month's Current Biology.


Most of us walk and carry items in our hands every day. These are seemingly simple activities that the majority of us don't question. Researchers have discovered that human bipedalism, or walking upright, may have originated millions of years ago as an adaptation to carrying scarce, high-quality resources. (Credit: iStockphoto/Nick Biemans)

Source:Science Daily

That's interesting -- and certainly very plausible.

Desmond Morris had another take on it, though. He suggests that when mankind's early ancestors first descended from the trees to scavenge for food they had to learn to walk upright to spot predators above the grass of the primordial savannah. These ancestors were very small, about three feet tall, covered in hair -- and could not see above the tall grass when moving on all fours.

But this is an old theory, and not at all exempt from error. Morris published "The Naked Ape" back in the 60s.

Thanks for the post! Will look up Current Biology. I'm sure it's going to be an interesting read.

I'd say they finished all the bananas on the lower part of the tree, and were hungry for more. Vegetation got scarce, and like the leaf-hungry giraffe stretching for higher leaves in Lamarck's theory, chimps started stretching themselves to get the higher bananas. :haha:

I'm not convinced that giraffes normally stretch to get higher bananas?

I said leaf-hungry giraffes, not not banana-hungry. Bananas apply to chimps. I'll make it clearer.

I reckon leaf-hungry giraffes would be even less likely to stretch for higher bananas...

You don't understand it, do you? The giraffe went for higher leaves, the chimps for higher bananas. I have made it clear enough in the earlier post.

I understand that a) the two mechanisms are different, and b) humour.

Good! You finally understood. :haha:

There was a very famous " humanzee" called oliver who was born in the 60s.

He had very human features and he walked upright most of the time and was considered the missing link by some experts. later tests revealed he was just a chimp after all. Though his DNA was slightly out of the norm.

Theres a very intresting documentary you can probably find on you tube.

Im always sceptical about this stuff, Unless i see it with my own eyes.

If that article is saying (or suggesting) we evolved from the ape/chimpazee, I say its 100% bogus.JMHO