Bipedalism
The evolution of bipedalism for the early
hominids was merely an adaptation to
the newfound lifestyle that early man
began to lead. No longer was the body
adapting to better climbing and life in
the trees as this species was slowly
becoming a hunting and gathering
population. One of the main reasons for this
change is the conservation of
energy. As these hominids began to spend much of
their day on foot in search
for food, this bipedal form of walking was adapted
as it uses much less
energy than the creatures that walk on all fours. The
mechanics of bipedal
movement was simply a more energy efficient act, but at the
same time, this
posture decreased the direct exposure to the sun, keeping the
individual
cooler, and ultimately saving even more energy. Also, as an advantage
to
hunting and gathering, hominids were now tall and could reach things and
have
a better and taller view of the surroundings. This provided a huge
advantage
over the predators of their time. Two additional advantages of
bipedal
locomotion is the allowance of two limbs whose purpose was solely to
carry or
transport possessions. Whether this is food or wood or whatever it
may have
been, hominids could now carry just about anything for long
distances. This
freedom of the arms and hands also allowed an easier and
better solution to
taking care of the young. All of these reasons show the
advantages of bipedalism.