Justin Caldwell

December 10, 2015

Anthropology 1010

Bipedalism and Brain Size in Hominids

Bipedalism is a unique characteristic of human beings. It is the ability to walk on two
legs, rather than four. This function allowed for our hands to be free for use in other ways than
transportation. It is one of the major functions that separates us from other primates (Jurmain).
The other significant thing that distinguishes us from other primates is a larger brain capacity.
The modern human brain is approximately 1350 cubic centimeters. Compare that to the modern
chimpanzees brain capacity of around 300 cubic centimeters (Jurmain). These two major
distinctions are what separate the hominid line from the hominin line. Hominins are the ancestral
line that led to Homo sapiens (Jurmain).
For quite some time it was though that larger brain size came before bipedalism in
evolution. That is until the early 1900s. In 1924 the first Australopithecus fossil was discovered.
It was called the Taung child (efossils.org). This skull showed that it had a smaller brain size like
that of a modern chimpanzee (efossils.org). This fossil was dated somewhere between 3 and 2
million years ago. Whereas there is evidence that shows hominins being bipedal as far back as 7
million years ago (efossils.org).
A femur and tibia found in Kenya, dating back 6 million years ago showed signs of
bicondylar angle, or the femur angling inward from the pelvis (efossils.org). Also, more recently

in 2001 a cranium fossil was discovered that showed the foramen magnum more centered in the
skull which is a sign of bipedalism. This fossil was dated 7 million years ago (efossils.org).
While changes in brain capacity have been shown all through the hominid line, fossil
records show the most significant increases about 1.8 million years ago, with the appearance of
Homo erectus (book). There are many theories as to why the sudden changes in brain growth.
One theory states that brain growth may have been associated with changes in diet and body
composition in the hominid line (Leonard). With a higher quality diet came the larger brain
capacity. These diet changes may have also changed the body composition in these early
humans. Humans are considered under-muscled in comparison to other primates of similar size
(Leonard). This may have allowed more energy to be used in brain metabolism, causing the brain
to increase in size over time (Leonard).
Another theory of the changes in brain size is the need for language. Language may have
been a needed adaptation (thebrain.mcgill.ca). The need for language may have helped the early
hominids communicate with others in their group and also to allow them to share ideas like tool
making (Hall). Planning with others in the group was also important and may have led to
expansion of the brain as an adaptation. Studies have shown an increase in the Brocas area, the
area of the brain responsible for speech and language, far before the increase in the size of the
cerebral cortex (thebrain.mcgill.ca). Thusly, the first tools, hunts, and organized societies
occurred before the brain increase for reasoning, which only could have occurred if there was an
ability for language (thebrain.mcgill.ca). These adaptations allowed for those particular hominids
to survive and reproduce.
Bipedalism may have also been an adaption to allow for a higher survival rating allowing
for the freeing of the hands to carry food and other objects while in transit. Bipedalism most

definitely did not happen overnight. Major bone structures had to change in order to make it
possible. Early Hominins that began to become bipedal still had small bodies, their arms were
relatively the same length as their legs, and they still had long fingers and toes to help them
climb (Jurmain). As full bipedalism began many structures of the body began to change. There
were changes in the knee, the angle of the femur as it exits the pelvis, a wader pelvis, the
reduction of the opposable big toe, and changes in the placement of the foramen magnum in the
skull (efossils.org). The earliest hominids showed changes in the spine as well. The spine was
more of an S shape and with the change in the foramen magnum, this allowed for the head to be
more balanced over the spine (Hall). Once these changes occurred and bipedalism began to be
the only way of locomotion, not much changed in the skeleton post cranial.
In 1974 a mostly complete skeleton fossil was discovered of the species, Australopithecus
afarensis. They called this nearly complete being, Lucy (Jurmain). Lucy was dated to be 3.2
million years old (efossils.org). In looking at her skeleton from the neck down, she looks very
similar to modern humans. The thing that is special about Lucy is that she was one of the first
fossils found that had significant signs of bipedalism, yet also had a small bran capacity
(efossils.org). Which definitely shows that the appearance of bipedalism occurred long before the
increase in brain capacity.
More and more discoveries are made every year and perhaps we will find fossils that will
change our ideas of the evolution of human beings. But for now, what we do know is that early
hominids learned and adapted to walk upright on two legs, millions of years before their brains
significantly increased in size. Perhaps bipedalism was needed in order for the brain to increase;
by allowing free hands to build tools and weapons, thusly the need to share those ideas, and the
change the diet because of those abilities.

Bibliography
Hall, Brook Ellen. Animal Sciences. The Gale Group Inc., 2002. online encyclopedia.
Jurmain/kilgore/Trevathen. Essentials of Physical Anthropology, Ninth Edition. Mason,
Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2013. book.
Leonard, William R. "Metabolic correlates of hominid brain evolution." Comparative
Biochemistry and Physiology (2003): volume 136. issue 1, pages 5-15. online
article.
efossils.org. 2015. website. 6 Dec. 2015.
thebrain.mcgill,ca. n.d. online module. 6 Dec 2015.