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A Staircase of Primate Evolution ‘Culture will continue to evolve quickly and in unforeseen directions, and these changes will, in turn, influence the physical evolution of Homo sapiens and any other human species to come.’ Homo sapiens share many characteristics with the great apes. This does not indicate that we evolved from gorillas or chimpanzees but it does suggest we share a common ancestor. The common characteristics were inherited by hominids and the greater apes, but then were modified to suit a specific niche through natural selection. As a result there are important differences between the human and ape anatomy due to six to seven million years of separate evolution. However by comparing the structure and behaviour of apes and hominids the similarities prove convincing enough to support the idea that humans and apes are very closely related. In fact DNA-DNA hybridisation studies show that the difference between the human nucleotide sequence and that of the chimpanzee is less than 1.5%. Bipedalism, having the ability to walk upright is made possible in Homo sapiens through key structural features. Human anatomy is a fully terrestrial adaptation. The S-shaped spine in humans has two curves to add strength for upright posture and reduce the amount of weight held by the pelvis, as the centre of gravity flows down through the spine giving the torso rigidity and balance when standing. The spine also shortened the overall length of the torso. Apes possess a C-shaped spine, an adaptation as it allows for quadrapedalism and knucklewalking, Chimpanzee anatomy is a compromise between an adaptation to arboreal and terrestrial locomotion. The S-shaped spine in humans is an adaptive advantage as it allows balanced upright bipedal gait and the ability to travel in this position over long distances. Upright walking requires much less energy than walking on all fours, it decreases direct exposure to the sun requiring less energy to be used cooling the body. It also provides an advantage to the hunter and gathering species of Homo sapiens, as hominids grew tall they could reach things and have a taller and therefore better view of their surroundings.
Approximate Word count = 1321
Approximate Pages = 5.3
(250 words per page double spaced)
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