Question

Is bipedalism a uniquely human trait? What makes us morphologically human and different? Expound on the uniqueness of humans compared to some of our closest relatives. Think behavior, neurological, social etc.?

Answer 1

Bipedalism is the condition of having only two feet or using two feet for locomotion.

Humans are Bipedals i.e., they have the ability to walk on two legs and this is uniquely human trait among mammals.

Chimpanzee can walk in a bipedal fashion for only short span of time.

Some fetures of bipedalism:

• Lumbar Lordosis
• Longer lower limbs
• Enlarged jointed surface area
• Short, Broad pelvis
• Realignment of gluteal muscles (people have a "butt" chimps do not really) (stabilization)
• Valgus Femur
• Full extension of knee joint
• Anterior placement of foramen magnum.

Morphologically human are different. Human are having Obligate bipedal locomotion, Large brains relative to body size,Hairless skin, Locomotion shifts to bipedalism, Encephalization- increasing brain size, decrease of dental sizes and dimorphism, Emergence and development of complex tool making etc.,

Some uniqueness of humans with Chimps are found. Chimps are our closest living relatives and we share about 98.8 % of their DNA.

Genetic evidence suggests the ancestors of humans and chimpanzees diverged so many years ago.

Humans are close to Chimps but not too close.

One of the primatologist Frans de Waal at Emory University in Atlanta, said that emotionally and socially, the psychology of chimps is very similar to humans," said

For example we can identify chimps will help unrelated chimps and human strangers at personal cost without apparent expectation of personal gain, a level of selfless behavior which is some what unique to humans. With this we can say the chimps are still close enough.

Coming to another example chimpanzees or bonobos, humans are distinct in that fathers are often involved in child care.

Gorilla males protect the females and offspring, but that's pretty much it.