Question

15. How does the walking style of Lucy compare to modern bonobos, and what can we infer about the evolution of hominins from her locomotion?

Answer 1

Lucy, an Australopithecus afarensis, had a high stepping gait and slower walking speed compared to modern humans. This suggests that early hominins had unique walking styles and were still evolving towards a more efficient bipedal locomotion.

Step-by-step explanation:

The walking style of Lucy, an Australopithecus afarensis, can be compared to that of modern bonobos. Lucy had a high stepping gait and slower walking speed due to anatomical differences, such as not having a chin, thicker leg bones, and relatively long flat feet. This suggests that her bipedalism was different from that of modern humans. From Lucy's locomotion, we can infer that early hominins, like Australopithecus afarensis, had unique walking styles and were still evolving towards a more efficient bipedal locomotion similar to modern humans.