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2007-11-06 01:57:01 · 5 answers · asked by Jamal Fo Sho 1 in Social Science Anthropology

5 answers

I presume you mean for humans and other primates.

Walking on two legs leaves hands free for hunting and gathering and self defense. If equipped with an opposable thumb, you can also manipulate tools to alter environment and that includes artwork as well. It makes eating easier. It also makes hygiene easier if not in some cases possible.

That's about all I can think of, but there must be more except of course using the remote.

2007-11-06 02:08:10 · answer #1 · answered by jack of all trades 7 · 0 0

1

2016-12-25 15:14:44 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0 0

Here are the current hypotheses (sorry for being so long)

The Following assume bipedalism has a functional advantage::
a) Man the hunter/scavenger: necessary for tools
Problem: no evidence of meat consumption nor tool use in early hominins

b) Woman the gatherer: so women can carry food and infants
Problem: Similar apes did not develop bipedalism

c) Man the Provisioner: men gathered food and returned to base to feed women and children
Problems: Suggests early hominins were pair bonded (likely not)

d) Bipedalism useful in aggressive encounters to intimidate, locate pred, collect food
Problems: Model assumes that this would evolve in a savanna (which it didn’t)

The following don’t assume that bipedalism has a functional advantage::
e) Energetics hypothesis: Dietary resource distribution changed; walking more efficient in food collecting
Problems: Assumes that common ancestor of great apes knuckle walked (may have or not)

f) Thermoregulation hypothesis: Less surface area of sun exposure with biped and better sweating
Problems: Assumes humans evolved in savanna (likely didn't)

2007-11-06 08:40:39 · answer #3 · answered by High Tide 3 · 0 0

Well, it makes walking on the savanna a lot easier. With the changing landscape of woodsy terrain to the savannas - our ancestors had no choice but to ditch their arboreal (tree) loving attributes to those that helped us walk long distances. Also, it makes us faster... so we can run from predators.

2007-11-06 07:38:27 · answer #4 · answered by Bgirl9488 3 · 0 0

one can see farther
one's head is farther from the heat of the ground if one is in the hot plains or desert.
hands are freed for other activities, throwing, carrying, manipulating, etc...

2007-11-06 04:06:50 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

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