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Bipedal Locomotion

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science

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Synonyms

Bipedal Gait; Bipedal Locomotion; Bipedal Motion

Definition

The phenomenon of walking upright on two hind limbs, as opposed to using both forelimbs and hind limbs for running, climbing, etc.

Introduction

Bipedal motion is one of the features of modern humans that most drastically separates us from other primates and great apes. Several different theories as to how we developed bipedal motion relating to diet, terrain, and morphology have developed and changed over the years as physical evidence has increased and refined the ways we think about hominin bipedalism. With the understanding that some theories have been discarded or severely changed since their debuts, presented here is a full analysis of each of the predominant theories of bipedal motion in humans, including those that have not been reconsidered in several years due to compromising evidence. Additionally, there are certain biological and physiological explanations for bipedal locomotion and how that anatomy...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. SUNY New Paltz, New Paltz, NY, USA

    Olivia Jewell

Authors
  1. Olivia Jewell
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Olivia Jewell .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

  2. Rochester, MI, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. Dominican College, Orangeburg, NY, USA

    Haley Dillon

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Jewell, O. (2018). Bipedal Locomotion. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_305-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_305-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

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