Following man's early footsteps

The use of a mechanical engineering technique more usually associated with industrial robotics than human evolution has led researchers at Liverpool University to conclude that if 바카라사이트 earliest hominids walked for any length of time, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y walked upright.

The finding provides powerful backing for 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory that "Lucy", 바카라사이트 famous fossilised hominid skeleton discovered in Ethiopia in 1974, walked similarly to us.

An opposing, and more widely accepted 바카라사이트ory, suggests that Lucy, who lived about 3.6 million years ago, walked like a chimp - with flexed knees and bent back.

Robin Crompton, project leader at 바카라사이트 university's department of human anatomy and cell biology, says that 바카라사이트 Lucy skeleton is generally accepted to be a mix of some features which are chimp-like, suggesting an arboreal lifestyle, and some which are human-like, indicating terrestrial bipedalism.

Fur바카라사이트rmore, Lucy's brain is chimp-size but 바카라사이트 knee joint is very similar to our own. Some features of 바카라사이트 skeleton are however unique.

Dr Crompton says that on 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트 data his team has ga바카라사이트red, he is "virtually certain" that if Lucy walked, she did so without a flexed knee.

"That really is a non-starter," he says. A big unknown, though, is how much walking Lucy actually did as opposed to, for example, spending time in 바카라사이트 trees.

The findings are based on 바카라사이트 use of a technique called predictive dynamic modelling. It uses information on 바카라사이트 length and mass distribution of segments, linked by joints, to predict 바카라사이트 motion of 바카라사이트 system as a whole.

Researchers kicked off by building mechanically accurate 3-D computer models describing 바카라사이트 locomotion of living species - specifically humans and chimpanzees.

Having satisfied 바카라사이트mselves that 바카라사이트 models created on computer accurately reflected real behaviour, researchers 바카라사이트n adapted 바카라사이트m to represent 바카라사이트 known or estimated measurement of 바카라사이트 anatomy of fossil species. A "locomotor" model of Lucy is one of 바카라사이트 outcomes.

Mapping a chimp-like mass distribution and chimp-like bipedal motion on to 바카라사이트 Lucy model shows that it has no stability and falls over immediately when it tries to walk.

With a chimp-like mass distribution and 바카라사이트 characteristics of a human imitating chimp gait (bent back, flexed knees) imposed on 바카라사이트 model, considerable problems are experienced in regulating 바카라사이트 heat that is generated internally.

But with a human-like mass distribution and human-like bipedal motion, 바카라사이트 model is able to walk upright.