What favored the transition from a four-legged gait to bipedalism?

What will be an ideal response?


A change in climate may have been a factor. Hominins evolved in Africa at a time when lush rain forests were giving way to woodlands interspersed with grassy plains. In this altered habitat, an ability to move efficiently across open ground would have been favored, and human walkers use less energy to move than chimpanzees do.

Bipedalism also keeps a body cooler. A bipedal animal gains less heat from the ground than a four-legged walker and also intercepts less warming sunlight. In addition, an upright stance makes it easier to scan the horizon for predators, and it frees hands to gather and carry food or other resources.

Biology & Microbiology

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The function of the bacteriophage ? N protein is to:

A. bind directly to the promoter of genes that are active late in the infection process. B. allow transcriptional read-through of hairpin terminator sites in mRNA. C. block ? repressor synthesis. D. block transcription of all phage genes except its own.

Biology & Microbiology

Sweat is released by exocrine glands on the skin surface as a means to lower body temperature

Indicate whether the statement is true or false

Biology & Microbiology

To which group of plants are insect pollinators most important?

A) gymnosperms B) angiosperms C) mosses D) ferns

Biology & Microbiology

The type of system depicted in the accompanying figure:a

can be found in arthropods. b. can be found in cephalopods. c. can be found in annelids. d. has hemoglobin as the oxygen transporting pigment. e. can be found in arthropods and annelids.

Biology & Microbiology