Hip extensor mechanics and the evolution of walking and climbing capabilities in humans, apes, and fossil hominins

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1715120115
• Publication Date: 2018-04-02T20:40:44Z
• Authors: Elaine E. Kozma; Nicole M. Webb; William E. H. Har...; David A. Raichlen; Kristiaan D'Août; Mary H. Brown; Emma M. Finestone; Stephen R. Ross; Peter Aerts; Herman Pontzer
• Keywords: Climbing; Osteology; Ischium

Significance The evolution of humans’ distinct bipedal gait remains a focus research and debate. Many reconstructions hominin locomotor assume climbing capability trades off against walking economy, with improvement in one requiring diminishment the other, but few have tested these functional inferences experimentally. In this study, we integrate experimental mechanics from humans other primates osteological measurements to assess capabilities early hominins. Our analyses show that changes ischium hamstrings would made more economical without reducing utility muscles for A wider set evolutionary solutions may been available hominins than previously recognized.