Arizona State University scientists studying fossilized anklebones have concluded our early ancestors walked with a rather unsteady gait.
Arizona anthropologist Gary Schwartz, along with fellow anthropologist Dan Gebo of Northern Illinois University-DeKalb, found subtle anatomical differences in the bones as compared with modern anklebones.
Schwartz and Gebo compared anklebones from a variety of early human ancestors and compared them with samples taken from modern humans, chimpanzees and gorillas. The research led them to two significant conclusions:
-- Certain ancestral anklebones thought by some to be "half ape, half human" were found to be much more similar to human bones, confirming the specimens were from obligate bipeds who most likely walked on two feet in a manner similar to how we walk today.
-- Structural differences in some of the anklebones indicate they would have walked a little differently than do modern humans, specifically, an ancestral species commonly referred to as robust australopithecines appear to have been knock-kneed.
Schwartz and Gebo's findings contradict the common wisdom that bipedalism was a rather stable, unwavering trait once it evolved in human ancestors.
The study will be detailed in the April edition of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
Related stories:
Molecular sleuths track evolution through the ribosome
A new study of the ribosome, the cell's protein-building machinery, sheds light on the oldest branches of the evolutionary tree of life and suggests that differences in ribosomal structure between the three main branches of that tree are "molecular fossils" of the early evolution of protein synthesis.
Nature or nurture -- Are you who your brain chemistry says you are?
Researchers using positron emission tomography (PET) have validated a long-held theory that individual personality traits—particularly reward dependency—are connected to brain chemistry, a finding that has implications for better understanding and treating substance abuse and other addictive behaviors.
Scientists identify single microRNA that controls blood vessel development
Scientists from the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (GICD) and UCSF have identified a key regulatory factor that controls development of the human vascular system, the extensive network of arteries, veins, and capillaries that allow blood to reach all tissues and organs. The research, published in the latest issue of
Developmental Cell, may offer clues to potential therapeutic targets for a wide variety of diseases, such as heart disease or cancer, that are impacted by or affect the vascular system.
No evidence to support 'organic is best'
New research in the latest issue of the Society of Chemical Industry's (SCI)
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture shows there is no evidence to support the argument that organic food is better than food grown with the use of pesticides and chemicals
Study uses genetic evidence to trace ancient African migration
Stanford University researchers peering at history's footprints on human DNA have found new evidence for how prehistoric people shared knowledge that advanced civilization.
Children are hurt by chaos at home
(PhysOrg.com) -- Historically, U.S. children have experienced chaos for decades due to the nation's high rates of migration, poverty, and maternal and child mortality. But today, chaos in children's lives is largely on the family level, said a Cornell sociologist in a statewide videoconference, June 17.
San Diego Supercomputer Center director urges academia to make cyberinfrastructure 'real'
Comprising the "infrastructure" for the Information Age, cyberinfrastructure – the organized aggregate of information technologies, organizations, and human resources – is essential for future research advancement and discovery. In this month's EDUCAUSE Review, Dr. Fran Berman, director of the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at the University of California, San Diego, makes the case for investment in cyberinfrastructure as part of the "IT bill" for the Information Age.
'Sun-eating dragon' returns to China
Earth, the Sun and the Moon will align in a celestial ballet on Friday, rewarding China, where the first record of an eclipse was made more than 4,000 years ago, with a dazzling show. Longingly awaited, the first total solar eclipse since March 2006 kicks off at 0923 GMT, when the lunar shadow touches down on the fringes of Nunavut province in northern Canada.