Archive · 15 Sep 2025
Scientists Discover How Humans Evolved to Walk Upright
Imagine your hip bone, the ilium, is like a puzzle piece that helps you stand up straight.
Scientists looked at how this bone grows in babies and compared it to other animals like mice and primates.
They found that the ilium in humans grows in a completely different way, a 'flip,' compared to other species.
This new growth pattern, using the same genes as other animals but in a new way, created a hip bone strong enough for us to walk on two legs.
They also think this change helped our ancestors give birth to babies with bigger brains.
Scientists studied the ilium (hip bone) to understand bipedalism.
The ilium develops differently in humans than in other primates and mice.
Human ilium growth involves a 'flip' in the orientation of the bone.
The changes in ilium development were crucial for upright walking.
The shape of the ilium also changed to accommodate larger brains and easier childbirth.
- Who
- Scientists at Harvard University and others.
- What
- Discovered the molecular steps that led to human bipedalism by studying the ilium (hip bone).
- When
- Study published in journal Nature; Darwin published his theory in 1859.
- Where
- Harvard University, museums in US and Europe.
- Why
- To understand how humans evolved to walk upright and the development of the ilium.
- Key Bone
- Ilium (hip bone)
- Published in
- Journal Nature
- Research Focus
- Human and primate embryos
- Key Finding
- Ilium development 'flipped' orientation.
- Lead Researcher
- Terence Capellini, Harvard University