Emergence of Bipedalism

  • Minimal driving force/selective pressure

  • Appears suddenly in the fossil record

  • Requires major anatomical rearrangement

  • Rapid change followed by period of no change

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Slide 86 of 109


In conclusion, bipedalism seems to have arisen at a time and place where there was little or no ecological or environmental pressure to have selected for its evolution. Bipedalism appeared suddenly in the fossil record over 5 million years ago. The adaptations necessary to achieve bipedalism are remarkably extensive, and many of the evolutionary models do not provide a mechanism by which intermediates would be selectively advantaged.

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Last Modified June 21, 2006

 

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