ANTHROPOLOGIE

Volume 36/1-2, 1998, pp. 5-16

VOS J. DE, SONDAAR P. Y., REUMER J. W. F.
The Evolution of Hominid Bipedalism

In the Laetoli footprint site G three hominid trails are intersected by two Hipparion-trails. These trails give additional information on the locomotion of the first bipedal hominids and the tridactyl horse. There is a general consensus on the significance of the tridactyl tiptoe gait in horses. This gait was an essential step in the evolutionary history of the horse to enter the open plains. It procured the animal with a locomotion that combined speed and endurance. The Laetoli Hipparion-trail shows that, compared with the monodactyl horse, the tridactyl horse were more all round in locomotion. The hominid trail, probably from Australopithecus, is clearly that of a bipedal locomotion, but there is no consensus on its interpretation among scientists. Australopithecus was the first to enter the open plain and had just as Hipparion a more all round gait than Homo. Compared to the hominid evolutionary history with that of the horse, it shares a similar evolutionary pattern, which leads us to the conclusion that the hominid pattern is not unique and must be explained as other mammals. The bipedal locomotion was essential to enter an open plain. Compared to Homo, Australopithecus had a more all round gait.

Bipedialism – Hominids – Equids – Evolution