How Does Evolution Apply to Bipedal Primates?
![Picture](/uploads/1/4/5/0/14509172/898471495.gif)
Bipedalism
One of the fundamental evolutionary changes that led to our species development is bipedalism. Bipedalism is the natural ability to walk on two legs in an upright position. This character allowed our ancestors to explore new purposes for their arms and hands-- which enabled them to carry stones, clubs, and other ancient tools over great distances.
A common laymen belief is that the opposable thumb was the most important evolutionary traits evolved from our ancestors. While it is true the thumb contributed to the development and manipulation of many tools (not to mention some snazzy artwork)necessary for survival, ancient ancestors would have never been able to till land for agriculture or hunt as effectively with these tools if they had been stooped to more than half their height!
Scientists still debate to this day whether the opposable thumb preceded bipedalism. While
it makes for interesting discourse, we may never know which trait contributed to the other. It is of the opinion of this writer that the use of some tools, such as those used to dig out roots and to get insects out of trees may have been prominent prior to bipedalism. However, as mentioned before, the ability to walk on two legs allowed for a wider range of exploratory uses for the hands and
arms-- and therefore the development of more complex creation of tools and new purposes to ones that may have been used before (i.e. sticks to dig for roots, as well as to pull insects out with.)
This led, further down the evolutionary line, of course, to the use of tools to acquire large quantities of protein-rich meat, which is believed to have greatly contributed to the development of larger and more complex brains, such as those in modern day humans. As we learned from various studies and texts the development of the skull varied in size, and it’s growth was not necessarily linear in proportion. For example, about three different species of early hominins existed, and in some cases side by side, during a period of hundreds of thousands of years (about 1.2mya and 2 mya). All three had some noticeable variation is size and shape of the skull!
(pics with dates [ch. 9] )
A common laymen belief is that the opposable thumb was the most important evolutionary traits evolved from our ancestors. While it is true the thumb contributed to the development and manipulation of many tools (not to mention some snazzy artwork)necessary for survival, ancient ancestors would have never been able to till land for agriculture or hunt as effectively with these tools if they had been stooped to more than half their height!
Scientists still debate to this day whether the opposable thumb preceded bipedalism. While
it makes for interesting discourse, we may never know which trait contributed to the other. It is of the opinion of this writer that the use of some tools, such as those used to dig out roots and to get insects out of trees may have been prominent prior to bipedalism. However, as mentioned before, the ability to walk on two legs allowed for a wider range of exploratory uses for the hands and
arms-- and therefore the development of more complex creation of tools and new purposes to ones that may have been used before (i.e. sticks to dig for roots, as well as to pull insects out with.)
This led, further down the evolutionary line, of course, to the use of tools to acquire large quantities of protein-rich meat, which is believed to have greatly contributed to the development of larger and more complex brains, such as those in modern day humans. As we learned from various studies and texts the development of the skull varied in size, and it’s growth was not necessarily linear in proportion. For example, about three different species of early hominins existed, and in some cases side by side, during a period of hundreds of thousands of years (about 1.2mya and 2 mya). All three had some noticeable variation is size and shape of the skull!
(pics with dates [ch. 9] )