Upright human gait did not provide a major mechanical challenge for our ancestors

摘要: Habitual bipedalism is considered as a major breakthrough in human evolution and the defining feature of hominins. Upright posture presumably less stable than quadrupedal posture, but when using external support, for example, toddlers assisted by their parents, postural stability becomes critical. In this study, we show that humans seem to mimic such support creating virtual pivot point (VPP) above centre mass. A highly reduced conceptual walking model based on assumption reveals sufficient achieving maintaining stability. The VPP experimentally observed dogs running chickens, suggesting it might be convenient emergent behaviour gait mechanics not an intentional locomotion behaviour. Hence, likely even first hominis may have already applied VPP, mechanism would facilitated development habitual bipedalism.