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Forums - General Discussion - Why are Humans Bipedal?

theprof00 on 18 June 2010
Smidlee said:
theprof00 said:
Smidlee said:
Rath said:

Even if you're a creationist 'because thats the way God made us' is a shitty explanation. At least think about why God made us that way.

 

I had heard it was somewhat related to our emergence onto the savannah from the jungles, interesting topic though - hadn't thought about it much.

 "So we can see over the tall grass" is even more lame. I wonder if someone was smoking some grass when they came up with that crazy answer.

******

Also bigger brain doesn't make someone  smarter so it questionable if a big head  has a real advantage. When it comes to evolution you can make up pretty much make up  any answer.

no you can't. It's people who are unfamiliar with science that say that. Just because there are a lot of guesses doesn't mean they haven't been very thoroughly researched. 

Evolution comes down to 2 things. Which mutations end up making an animal either a) reproduce more or b) live long enough to reproduce several times.

And actually, the size of our brain cavity is what allows us to have such a large brain. In fact, the most sizable portion of our brain is the cortex, which is notably small or absent in most other creatures. It is this cortex that is involved in highly skilled action, abstract thought, understanding of cause and effect, long term memory, planning, and complex motor skills like multi-tasking.

And you are correct that having a bigger brain than someone else doesn't make someone smarter, but having a bigger brain than another animal is a near infinite difference.

Seeing over tall grass is a very valid possibility. Almost every animal has the ability to stand on hind legs for short durations when scouting out areas.
Even better for humans, the ability to plan out their near future coincides almost perfectly with being able to see the entire environment.

 This is no researching we walk upright because we can see over grass as if every example there are counter examples. Because of so many counter examples found in nature evolution has to cover everything which in turn explain nothing.

 Continuely standing straight up also has it's disadvantage just like a sub continuely using active sonar. Thus other animals can easily see you before you see them.

actually most of the smartest animals with the largest brains walk upright and live above the environment.

Ie: see above terrain, capable of jumping really high, swim in the higher areas of the ocean, live in trees, fly.

These members are rodents, birds, humans, primates, dolphins and whales. (interesting to note that both dolphins and whales jump OUT of the water, which is an odd similarity.



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mikem on 27 June 2010

We were forced to adapt to an aquatic environment, became bipedal because of THAT, and had big enough brains to continue to survive as bipeds.   That's why no other primate (or mammal) is bipedal.   There is NO advantage to being bipedal, you're always off balance.    If you live in a semi-aquatic environment, you'll learn to walk through a swamp.   Even chimps, which are not bipedal, will walk upright through a swamp.   Force them to live in that environment and they will become bipedal, just like us.

It has nothing to do with "freeing hands up" or "seeing better on the savana".   If that were true, why isn't any other animal on the planet bipedal?   (kangaroo doesn't count, without it's tail for support, it would fall backwards)



Smidlee on 28 June 2010
mikem said:

We were forced to adapt to an aquatic environment, became bipedal because of THAT, and had big enough brains to continue to survive as bipeds.   That's why no other primate (or mammal) is bipedal.   There is NO advantage to being bipedal, you're always off balance.    If you live in a semi-aquatic environment, you'll learn to walk through a swamp.   Even chimps, which are not bipedal, will walk upright through a swamp.   Force them to live in that environment and they will become bipedal, just like us.

It has nothing to do with "freeing hands up" or "seeing better on the savana".   If that were true, why isn't any other animal on the planet bipedal?   (kangaroo doesn't count, without it's tail for support, it would fall backwards)

Alright. Now we are talking science. Now who going to run the test? Let's throw pigs off a cliff and see if they grow wings.
 Why are humans bipedal? I guess because we want to be like penguins.



MrBubbles on 28 June 2010

because it seemed like a good idea at the time.



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Dgc1808 on 28 June 2010
zero129 said:

Vgchatz, where you find out something new everyday :D


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Boutros on 28 June 2010

I think it's because grass is high in Afrika and they were constantly trying to see around.



TWRoO on 28 June 2010
theprof00 said:

actually most of the smartest animals with the largest brains walk upright and live above the environment.

Ie: see above terrain, capable of jumping really high, swim in the higher areas of the ocean, live in trees, fly.

These members are rodents, birds, humans, primates, dolphins and whales. (interesting to note that both dolphins and whales jump OUT of the water, which is an odd similarity.

You mean those air-breathing mammals? yeah can't think why they would want to jump out of the water



mikem on 03 July 2010

Pigs and cliffs?     huh?

Are you suggesting if I tossed you off a cliff, our species would have a burst in the evolution of intelligence?

 



ManusJustus on 03 July 2010

The advantage of being bipedal is that you have a higher viewpoint to spot predators and you can use your hands to more efficiently carry food and tools.



mikem on 09 August 2010

There is NO advantage to being bipedal.

If we didn't have such CHOICE reasoning brains, we would have been gobbled up long ago........we are the easiest prey in the environment, any environment....we don't have a turtle shell, we can't fly or outrun any predator (because were bipedal!).    We are soft skinned sissies that will make a predator salivate on sight.       Go kick a bear in the nuts or wiggle your ass at a mountain lion and find out how much being bipedal sucks.