The evolution of hominin bipedalism in two steps.

ABSTRACT: Bipedalism is a human-defining trait^1-3. It is made possible by the familiar, bowl-shaped pelvis, whose short, wide iliac blades curve along the sides of the body to stabilize walking and support internal organs and a large-brained, broad-shouldered baby^4-6. The ilium changes compared with living primates are an evolutionary novelty⁷. However, how this evolution came about remains unknown. Here, using a multifaceted histological, comparative genomic and functional genomic approach, we identified the developmental bases of the morphogenetic shifts in the human pelvis that made bipedalism possible. First, we observe that the human ilium cartilage growth plate underwent a heterotopic shift, residing perpendicular to the orientation present in other primate (an

SUBMITTER: Senevirathne G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12460174 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature