Ancient people have bow legs

Portrait of a member of the ancient group of robust australo-pithecines.( Photo: mc.maricopa )

Brain size and ability to stand up are two of the main factors that separate humanity from the large group of primates. Now, researchers say that to learn how to walk on two feet, millions of years ago they had to work hard.

An ancient re-examination of the ankle bones of the ancient people indicated that their gait was not as stable as the previous study suggests. They have a bow.

The researchers studied specimens of the robust australopithecines group that lived about 2 million years ago. Compared to us, they have larger teeth and stronger chewing muscles, a healthy skull with smaller brains.

Their legs are considered very similar to modern people, proving they used to walk on two legs. "We found in samples of robust australopithecines, there are ankle traits that affect the pathways on these legs," said Gary Schwartz, an anthropologist at Arizona State University.

" By looking at the position where the leg bone is bent on the ankle, we find that the leg bone will have to bend inside ," Gary revealed.

Fossils of human ancestors were present 6 million years ago. But scientists believe the Homo breed only appeared 1.8 million years ago - the time when australopithecines could have evolved into the ancient Homo habilis, with a larger brain but never exceeding the brain. 12 year old child today.

Schwartz compared the ancient ankle bones of many species of australopithecines to the ankle bones of gorillas, chimpanzees and humans today. The results supported the idea that the bipedal posture only evolved once. And that transition is not easy.

T. An