Hominids in Trees Began to Walk Upright

Some scientists think tree dwellers and not gorillas evolved our ability to walk on two legs.

SUMMARY: Both chimpanzees and gorillas walk on their knuckles but in different ways. German anthropologist Tracy Kivell and Daniel Schmitt of Duke U. think this difference may explain how humans "evolved" the ability to walk upright.

Chimps walk flexibly with bent wrists, giving them stability on tree branches although putting stress on their angled wrist joints. Their wrist bones include ridges and depressions that keep their wrists from bending too far. Gorillas walk with arms and limbs pointed straight down and locked, thus putting minimal stress on their forelimb bones. But this trait provides no means for stabilization during movements.

Wrist bones of hominids including assumed human ancestors resemble those of chimps, say Kivell and Schmitt. They suggest hominids' upright stance evolved from a "common ancestor of African apes" that climbed through trees using all four limbs but which sometimes walked upright. They deny there is strong evidence that terrestrial, knuckle-walking evolved into upright walking. They point to two key wrist features associated with stabilizing the wrist for knuckle-walking on the ground which can be found in most chimps but in only a few gorillas.

Other researchers disagree with their conclusions. Anthropologist Brian Richmond of George Washington U. says some ground knuckle-walking traits were ignored in the new study. He hypothesizes that human upright stances evolved from an ancestor who could knuckle-walk both on the ground and in the trees.

To read the entire article, click on this SCIENCE NEWS link.

COMMENT: One may wish to be an anthropologist to be able to figure out everything these scientists are talking about. However, I don't think we need to be scientists to see that the alleged evolution of upright walking is far from being clearly understood or agreed upon. If I counted correctly, there are now three hypotheses for how this human trait could have "evolved"--from gorillas walking along the ground; from chimpanzees or some other tree dweller swinging through trees; or, if Mr. Richmond is correct, from some creature who could knuckle-walk both on the ground and in the trees.

Is it too much to hope that scientists will realize that the answer to this question may never be known, because they are chasing after a ghost? The disagreements over how this feature allegedly evolved might be submitted as evidence that the evolution of upright walking is a myth. In reality, humans walk upright now because they have always walked upright.

Evolutionists in trying to answer this evolutionary problem are faced with several questions: 1. Why can't we see apes today in the process of evolving an upright walking posture? 2. Why can't paleontologists or anthropologists produce a series of fossils showing this trait evolving step-by-step in the past? 3. If gorillas and chimpanzees seem to be getting along just fine using the skills they presently possess, why did either one or an ancestor in the past see the need to begin walking upright on two legs?

Bible believers don't need to be defensive when it comes to putting their faith in the description in Genesis of how all living things came into existence. We should not be led astray by all the theories and hypotheses and wild guesses being thrown around by these scientists. What we see all around us are creatures with just the features they need to survive in their environments, with no need to evolve anything different. Let us praise God for His wisdom in providing for our needs now, especially the need we have for one day enjoying a glorious life in heaven.

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QUESTION OF THE DAY

What foods shouldn't you feed your dog?

Chocolate (may cause heart irregularities), grapes and raisins (can cause kidney damage), the sugar substitute xylitol (can bring on dangerous low blood sugar, liver damage, or even death), macadamia nuts (may cause weakness, lethargy, vomiting, tremors or hyperthermia), glues that contain diphenylmethane diisocyanate (can form a foamlike ball in the stomach, vomiting, dehydration and weakness), and cocoa mulch (can cause a toxic reaction).

Source: Bottom Line Personal (August 1, 2009)

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